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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29578611">I'm going to bring him back</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/findingmysolace/pseuds/findingmysolace'>findingmysolace</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Undertale (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 23:41:10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>23,778</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29578611</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/findingmysolace/pseuds/findingmysolace</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A simple weekend manages to flip the lives of a young couple. The title says it all. His boyfriend takes it upon himself to find and bring him back. Meanwhile, a fiance finds out that he's losing his soon-to-be husband because he thinks he found someone better.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Gray - Relationship, Poth - Relationship, hints of Afterdeath, hints of kreme</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Palette's POV</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The grey clouds blocked off the sunlight. It had been like that since the day he vanished from his life. He knew he shouldn't have let him go with a monster like him, but how could he ask him to get fired from a job like that. Palette's starry eyelights were dulled and his usual smile had disappeared with him. His white coat was still slipped over his shoulders for some kind of comfort. Wordlessly, he picked up the remote to switch the TV on and watched the news in high hopes he had been found. He saw Goth's picture along with his coworker's on-screen, but the word missing in big red letters still had his soul cracking. He often blamed himself for this. Maybe if he had warned him and prepared him better for something like this, Goth would be home snuggled in his arms as he slept. He switched off the TV, kicking his feet up to hug them close to his chest, and buried his face into them.<br/>
"I-I just w-want him b-back." He mumbled again and again, lime green tears forming at the edges of his sockets.<br/>
The phone began to ring, causing him to jerk up and fumble with his phone as he tried to pick it up.<br/>
"Did you find him?!" His soul beat faster as his eyelights widened with hope.<br/>
"No, sir, we didn't." It felt as if it had stopped, yet he was forced to continue living. "But we have some bad news."<br/>
The young artist braced himself for the worst. If Goth was dead, he'd never forgive himself for putting even a thought of belief on his coworker.<br/>
"W-What is it?" He choked out, his breathing slowing down as he grew more anxious.<br/>
"We're going to have to call the search off."<br/>
"What?!" He leaned forward from the couch,  "What do you mean by that? It hasn't even been a whole three months!"  He was basically shouting into the phone as more tears fell down his face.<br/>
"I'm sorry sir, but we have more cases to deal with and this case took up most of our employees and the resources. We'll send out a team when available and we'll let you know when we do so. Meanwhile, the locals might still be searching for your friend-"<br/>
"My boyfriend." He correct, gripping the white fabric tightly.<br/>
"Right. Your boyfriend and they'll be willing to keep search. We apologize for the inconvenience and hope you find him soon."<br/>
"What am I supposed to do then?" He questioned angrily, "I just got back yesterday from searching the entire state and-" he was cut off and pulled the phone to stare at the now blank screen.<br/>
The call hung up and he was left alone once again. He chucked his phone across the room, landing on the couches on the opposite side. His hand tightened on the area above his soul and wiped the tears off his face. He was ready to search beyond his comfort zone. He stood up from the couch, removing the small coat to have it tied around his waist, and headed into his room to pack.<br/>
"He needs my help and I'm going to find him no matter what it takes." He murmured to himself as he wrapped up a few pairs of clothes.<br/>
Memories of Goth packing for his trip flashed before him, but he wasn't prepared to have them playback altogether. He glanced down at his clothes as saw that the room was just as messy as his boyfriend had left it.  Palette kneeled in front of his suitcase to relive those moments. At least his memories could be real enough to help him through it all. </p><p>Goth's bed was littered with first aid supplies and camera equipment. He grabbed a small package of trail mix and stuffed that into the smaller zippers of his bag. He was putting up his camera equipment when he felt two arms snake around his waist.<br/>
"What's all this?" Goth leaned into his hold as he pressed soft kisses against his cheekbones.<br/>
"I thought I told you I was going on a trip for a day. It's only to get a few photos of the forest after the storm." He told him, feeling him rest his head atop his shoulder.<br/>
"That was this weekend?" He teased, Goth snickering as he gently nudged him off his shoulder.<br/>
"Yes. Now, if you'll excuse me," Goth picked up his camera, "I have some packing to do."<br/>
"I'm guessing I know who is taking you?" Goth nodded, and he threw his head back and groaned.<br/>
"Come on, Palette." Goth snapped a quick photo of his whining boyfriend. "I told you that and you promised not to act like this."<br/>
"Then can I come with you?" He suggested, Goth shaking his head with a soft smile. "What about if I follow behind you quietly?"<br/>
"Mister Palette Roller," Goth glanced up to him with a teasing smile, "Are you jealous of him?"<br/>
"W-What?!" He squeaked, his cheekbones dusted with a lime green hue. "N-No I'm not!"<br/>
"Yes, you are." Goth retorted, sticking his tongue out to taunt him a bit more.<br/>
"Am not!" He defended, a childish smirk playing on his mouth.<br/>
"Are too!" Goth fought back, both laughing too much to continue their immature bickering.<br/>
It took a few seconds for their laughter to die down, a few more seconds for Goth to begin humming as he packed, but not long enough for Palette to complain once again.<br/>
"Do you have to go with him though?" Palette groaned for the umpteenth time, Goth letting out a soft giggle as he began to pack snacks into his backpack.<br/>
"It's just a short trip, Pally." He reasoned yet again, "I'll be back by mid-afternoon tomorrow." He checked his supplies to make sure he had it all.<br/>
"But Gothy~" he whined, Goth bursting into laughs as he zipped up his bag.<br/>
He walked over to his side to wrap his arms around him again, pressing his face into his shoulder blade those time.<br/>
"He doesn't give me a good vibe." His voice came out more muffled than expected.<br/>
Goth leaned forward slightly, making enough space in Palette's hold to turn around and face him. He wrapped his arms around his neck and sighed.<br/>
"Trust me. I'm not a huge fan of him either, but I have to do this to keep my job." Palette glanced away sadly, Goth softly cupping his cheekbone with one hand. "You know me. I'm not like that and I love you very much."<br/>
Goth smiled gently when he saw the faint glow of green dust on his cheekbones.<br/>
"I love you too, Gothy." He murmured, his sockets becoming half-lidded as the distance between the two came close to being nonexistent.<br/>
Goth fared no differently. His face was engulfed in a purple hue and his sockets were close to shut. With a swift twist of his neck, he kissed him. His arms returned to their position and pulled him closer, Palette's arms tightening their grip around him. Goth pulled away first, taking in deep breaths as he tried to get his magic under control. Palette released his hold and sat his boyfriend onto the bed.<br/>
"Oh gosh! I'm sorry! I forgot about-"<br/>
"It's fine. I'm always forgetting too." Goth huffed out humorously, Palette flashing a nervous smile as he began to check his health over.<br/>
The doorbell rang a few times, some impatient knocking following those. Palette rolled his eyelights in annoyance. He knew exactly who was at the door and hated the fact that it was that monster, in particular, that would be spending the weekend with his boyfriend.<br/>
"I'll get it. You relax." He advised, leaving the room quickly.<br/>
The doorbell ringing became more frequent and the knocking took place at the same time. Palette turned the lock in a quick motion and pulled the door open.<br/>
"Oh, it's you." He deadpanned, Palette squinting as he stared down the unwanted guest.<br/>
"Hey, Cray. Long time, no see." Every word coming out of Palette's mouth was sharper than knives.<br/>
"Oh give me a break. Is Goth ready yet?" He asked, Palette shaking his head.<br/>
"He's resting. Go wait in your car until he's ready." He was about to shut the door when Cray pushed against it, having it slam against the wall.<br/>
"Hell no am I wasting gas." He walked right in and settled on the couches.<br/>
Palette felt his anger swell up, the barrier that held it all back coming close to breaking. It finally broke when he watched him prop his feet up onto the coffee table.<br/>
"You jealous that he's spending time with his much better friend?" He had a smug grin plastered on his face, Palette trying to keep his anger level.<br/>
"No. Because I know he'd much rather spend time with his BOYFRIEND than with you." He emphasized his title just to see that stuck-up smile be slapped off his face.<br/>
"Pal, I'm feeling a bit-" Both monsters' attention was on him as he stepped out the hall, "Oh Cray. I wasn't expecting you to pick me up until two." Goth looked over at Palette, who was shooting daggers with his gaze.<br/>
"I thought we'd head out early so we'd be able to hang out afterward."<br/>
"Oh-uh- I kinda already had plans to have breakfast and lunch with Palette before I left."<br/>
It fell quiet all too quickly. Goth glanced over at Palette, who was already heading over to Goth's side, and then back at Cray.<br/>
"So are you going to leave or..?"<br/>
"Mind if I grab breakfast with y'all?" Goth letting out a sigh of defeat while Palette groaned in annoyance. "I'll just wait in the car then." He got up from the couch and stomped out.<br/>
"Freaking finally," Palette mumbled, Goth laughing as he smacked his arm playfully.<br/>
"I can't believe you."<br/>
"Me? What about you?" Palette laughed, "You asked him to leave just like that."<br/>
His ringtone knocked him back into reality. He blinked a few times to stop the tears from falling and picked up his phone.<br/>
"Hi, Mister Geno."<br/>
"Palette, are you back in town?" Any other time he would have beamed at how worried he sounded, but, right now, he couldn't help but be disappointed.<br/>
"Yeah. I'm back."<br/>
"Did you-" he didn't get the chance to finish his sentence when he heard a heavy sigh escape him, "Oh."<br/>
"I'm sorry to disappoint y-"<br/>
"Palette, sweetheart, you tried your best. I'm not disappointed in you." That put a small smile on his face. Geno was probably the closest person he had to call a parent since his actual parents weren't always there for him.<br/>
"The police also called off the search." He mumbled, wincing when he heard a sharp gasp on the other end.<br/>
"They called the search off?!" Palette nodded.<br/>
"Yeah, Mister Geno. They called me a few minutes ago." He must've sounded so cold if Geno let out a shaky sob. "I'm heading out of state to go find him."<br/>
"It's a big world out there." He warned, Palette shaking his head.<br/>
"Not big enough for me. I'm going to find him." He protested, hearing him sigh from the other end of the line.<br/>
"Bless you, Palette." He murmured, a temporary smile stuck in his face when he heard that from him. "Reaper said the same thing before he heads off to his duties. He said he'd check the places he goes to reap."<br/>
"Do you know where that is? Or a general idea? I don't want to waste time searching an area that he's already checked." Palette picked up a pen, taking the cap in his mouth only to spit it out onto the bed.<br/>
"He said he'd check the west coast and work his way over. I told him I'd take over the east side, but-" Palette quickly wrote several states off the top of his head onto his palm.<br/>
"I'll check the east. Thanks, Mister Geno."<br/>
"Palette, wait!" His finger hovered over the red button. If he had been even a second late, he would've taken off.<br/>
"What's wrong, Mister Geno?"<br/>
"P-Please bring h-him h-home. A-And c-call me if you find him. P-please." Palette finally heard him break down and felt himself tear up for him.<br/>
"O-Of course Mister Geno. You'll be the first person I tell." He assured, hearing him let out a low whine before he spoke up again.<br/>
"A-And careful. Y-You're like a son to me and the t-the world is a sh-shitty place." He warned, Palette nodding slowly.<br/>
"I will. Let me know if he ever shows up in town." Palette added, Geno clearing his throats to speak clearly.<br/>
"W-Will do. T-Take care Palette."<br/>
"You too, Mister Geno."<br/>
The call ended with just that.<br/>
'Mister Geno is probably organizing another search party.' He thought, glancing down to see a framed picture of the two on their one-year anniversary. 'We were so happy. Why did this have to happen?' He placed the picture inside his backpack and zipped up all the zippers.<br/>
"I'm going to find you no matter what."<br/>
He walked through his home, taking note of the deafening silence as he glanced around his place. The place that was once filled with love and laughter now mocks him and forced him to suffer quietly. He let go of a shaky breath he didn't know he was holding and walked out the doors. Slamming them shut behind him, he locked it up and started walking. He wasted three months in search parties for just his state. He no longer had more time to put this off.<br/>
Once he was walked down a few blocks, his adrenaline slowly vanished and he paused, causing the others to walk around him.<br/>
'How was I planning on getting there anyway? I'm nowhere close enough to drive there.' Palette face-palmed hard, the loud smack echoing down the quiet street. 'I'm going to have to find a way. Goth would do the same for me.' He hurriedly walked back, unlocking his car once it was in his sights.<br/>
He got in, grabbing the GPS from the dashboard. He took a quick glance at his palm.<br/>
'Hit up the big cities first. Word will get around fast even if he isn't there.' He thought as looked up an address on his phone.<br/>
He found a restaurant with the most positive reviews on google and plugged in their address, leading him directly to the heart of New York City. He back out the driveway and drove off, determined to find him at any cost.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Gen's POV</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sunlight seeped through the flimsy curtains, brightening the room to wake up the two that occupied it. Thankfully, the alarm clock made the job easier. The constant beeping woke one of them, who slammed the snooze button and proceeded to turn over, falling off the small bed when he had done so. He groaned as he sat up, rubbing the aching part of his skull. His sockets were squinted as he tried to read the alarm clock.<br/>
"6:40." He grumbled, grabbing hold of the edge of the bed as he stood up. "Craze. Come on. Wake up. It's time for work." He nudged him to earn a few groans of disapproval.<br/>
"It's Monday already?" He winced as the other pushed aside the useless curtains to shed some light into their apartment.<br/>
"Yeah," He turned to him to see his gaze already set on him, "What's that face for?"<br/>
"Did I ever tell you how beautiful you look, Gen?" He flirted, his smile widening when he saw a soft hue of purple dust his cheekbones.<br/>
He glanced down to see himself dressed in a stupid graphic t-shirt and a pair of black yoga pants, "I'm starting to think I fell for a blind monster." He joshed, Craze laughing as he got out of bed.<br/>
"I'm pretty sure I'm not blind." He told him as he made his way to him. "You are adorable, and," he ran his finger across the words on the shirt, "pretty cool."<br/>
"But I cry a lot." Gen finished the sentence from his shirt, Craze pressing a kiss to his forehead.<br/>
"I guess you're my little cry baby then."<br/>
"Great. Can I not go to work then?" Craze laughed as he shoved him towards the bathroom.<br/>
"You still have to. No amount of crying is going to get you out of that." Gen huffed as he shut the door behind him, "I'll have breakfast ready for you whenever you get out." Gen opened the door, poking his head out, and gave him a quick peck on the cheek.<br/>
"Thank you!" He cheered before slamming the door shut again.<br/>
Gen waited for him to leave the room, running the tap so it made him sound like he was getting ready. Once he heard his footsteps vanish, he sighed. He looked into the mirror, observing the scar he got. He softly traced the crack along his socket as he recalled what Craze had told him. He didn't go into much detail, saying that it still left an emotional scar on him when the doctors told him he wouldn't be pull through with his memories, but Gen just couldn't believe it. Even without memories of his past, he couldn't piece together how he could have let it all happened. He shook his head softly to clear his head and focused on the task at hand. He grabbed his toothbrush, squirting a strand of toothpaste onto the bristles, and brushed his teeth. His mind began to wander when he walked back into his room and stared out the window. Looking out onto a sea of people and buildings seemed out of place for someone like him. It's like a sight he couldn't call home, even if he lived here his entire life. He thought back to his dream from today, the wide-open ocean and the sandy beaches he saw were more welcoming to him than the city he resided in. The people passed by him like he was a ghost watching his own make-believe memory unfold, and even saw someone colorful run up ahead with a surfboard. He saw this colorful monster gesture to someone but was knocked out of his trance when he heard rhythmic knocking on the door. Gen turned around to see Craze snickering.<br/>
"Whafs so funny?" He asked the foaming toothpaste that was collecting in his mouth dribbling down.<br/>
"You, ya dummy." He laughed, walking over to him with a washcloth in hand. "You'll get it all over the floor." He murmured as he wiped away the excess paste. "What were you doing with your head hanging out the window like that anyway?" He asked humorously, Gen glancing out the window.<br/>
"I was thinking again." He admitted, Craze letting out a sigh.<br/>
"Trying to remember, huh?" Gen nodded slowly, Craze resting his forehead against his. "Don't push yourself too hard. It's okay if you don't remember right away, okay? Just know that I still love you no matter what."<br/>
"I won't and I love you too. I just," Gen paused as he glanced down to his sock-covered feet, "I feel awful not remembering how we met, how we fell in love, how we-" another pause as he looked at his hand, "how we got engaged." He finished, Craze interlacing their fingers as he held his hand.<br/>
"It's okay. I promise I'm fine as long as you're okay and by my side." He assured, pulling away to show off a humorous grin. "If you want, I can propose again."<br/>
Gen laughed, pushing him away jokingly, "You're lucky you're funny."<br/>
"And you're unlucky." Gen dropped his smile and stared at him dead on when he said that. "You're late."<br/>
"Wha-" His eyelight set on his alarm clock and he sprung to life. "Oh my god! This is all your fault!"<br/>
"How? You were the one distrac-" Gen stopped his words with a soft kiss on his cheekbone.<br/>
"Love you! See you after work!" He waved as he ran out the door, his signature white coat half on half trailing behind him.<br/>
Craze snickered with a light magenta and green hue donned upon his cheekbones, shaking his head as he walked out the room to have his breakfast.<br/>
Gen didn't stop running till he reached the bus stop, being one of the last people to get on board. He grabbed hold of one of the many poles when he saw the seats all occupied, and prayed silently for his boss to be nice to him about arriving late. The bus stopped a few more times, more people getting in than those getting out before it finally reached where Gen had to stop. He paid his fare and jumped off the metro, grabbing hold of the front door of the restaurant. The bells to the restaurant chimed, echoing throughout the empty establishment to accompany to sound of his footsteps.<br/>
"Morning, Gen."<br/>
"Mornin' Razz." He said with a wave as he headed to the back to grab his waist apron. "Sorry I was late. I got distracted."<br/>
"Ooooooh was it another one of those memory dreams?" She asked, her fuchsia-colored eyelights widening with interest.<br/>
"Kinda. I'm not sure though. It's the fifth time I've seen those sandy beaches and, I don't know why, but I can't stop thinking that that's where I used to be. It just seems more like," he paused as he finished tying the waist apron back, "like home."<br/>
"Well. We still have an hour before the shop opens up." She mentioned, sliding onto the unused counter, "We can hold a dream therapy session."<br/>
"Wait. An hour? I'm not late?"<br/>
"It's Saturday, smartass." She snorted, Gen, smacking his forehead as he let out a groan.<br/>
"I'm such a headass. I thought it was Monday." He mumbled, his hand wiping over his face as he nodded. "Sure. I wanna get this off my chest and I need an opinion."<br/>
She rejoiced, jumping off the counter and heading over to one of the nearest booths. She slid into one side while Gen sat in the other.<br/>
"So tell me." Her hands intertwined with one another as she rested her head on the back of her propped-up hands, "What was different about it today?"<br/>
"I was on the beach again, and there's this guy that calling for me. He-"<br/>
"Was he cute?"<br/>
"How is that relevant to why I'm having these dreams?" She shrugged when she heard him sigh.<br/>
"Maybe I can get with this guy in your dreams. Maybe he's straight." She offered, Gen holding back a laugh, "Come on. I need a love life too. You're already engaged." She whined jokingly. Silence fell and she noticed the lack of expression in his face, "I was joking lmao. You know that right?"<br/>
"That's something too. I just..." he paused when he thought about his next words carefully, "I just don't know why, but I feel like I was never in a relationship with him, let alone engaged."<br/>
"I mean, you lost your memory. It's like being reborn or something, yeah?" Razz offered.<br/>
He reclined into his seat as more thoughts clouded in his mind.<br/>
"I guess. But, I don't know, it's like my gut's saying no for some reason."<br/>
"Skeletons don't have guts though." She teased, seeing a small smile perk upon his face.<br/>
"You know what I mean." He laughed, softly pinching her shoulder as he stood up. "That's enough dream therapy for today."<br/>
"Wait nonononono!" She tugged his arm, pulling him back to the booth, "I'll be serious this time. I promise." He didn't look convinced, causing her to continue, "As your best friend, I promise to be seriously honest. I won't make any more jokes." Gen sighed, sitting back down in his seat, "Now tell me about this guy in your dreams."<br/>
"Like I said. I have no idea who he is, but it feels so familiar and I can't figure out why. I've never seen anyone like him." He murmured the last part as he tried to get his dream to resurface.<br/>
"Maybe he was your lover in another life?" She slammed her hands on top of his when she saw him getting up, "I'm serious. There are several theories on that kinda stuff. Maybe that's why you see him a lot."<br/>
"I guess." He sat back down again and thought about her answer. "Stupid amnesia." He grumbled.<br/>
"Speaking of that, did you ever find out how you lost your memory?" Gen shook his head before resting it in the palm of his hand.<br/>
"He won't tell me. Just tells me don't try too hard to remember."<br/>
Silence settled once again, the footsteps of people passing by outside seeming louder than it needed to be.<br/>
“Maybe he’s hiding something.” She muttered under her breath, Gen’s eyelight darting to her as she stood up, “Well. It’s almost opening time, bud.”<br/>
Gen rose from his seat, fishing the damp washcloth from his waist apron pocket, and began wiping the table down to sanitize. A few of his other coworkers showed up just a few minutes before, heading into the kitchen to fire up the stoves and get things ready for the morning rush.  As soon as the sign flipped, the bell above the door constantly rang. The diner itself wasn’t very popular, but it would always be busy for those who knew of it. Gen bustled from table to table with menus in hand, returning to the kitchen with orders.<br/>
“Busy day, huh?” Raspberry teased, seeing him leaning against a wall to catch his breath. “Well, I’ll take over. Your friend’s here.” She informed, walking out after trying up her waist apron.<br/>
A sigh of relief escaped him involuntarily as he left the kitchen area. He poked his head out from the doorway and saw a familiar skeletal monster donning a musky grey colored scarf with bright colors splattered over it, which stained his clothes as well. Gen moved away from the door frame, taking in a quick and even breath, and walked out with a smile on his face.<br/>
“Hey Gen.” This put a smile on his face as he headed out to see him. “Mind getting me coffee?”<br/>
“Hi Sketch. I didn’t think you’d show up today.” He laughed off, pouring him a cup of his preferred drink.<br/>
“Why wouldn’t I? I would want to see my best friend before I go back to complete another commission.” He took a sip before continuing. “Besides, you make the best coffee. How could I possibly skip an opportunity to taste it?”<br/>
“You know that flattery doesn't get you a free drink, right?” He teased, Sketch laughing as he pulled out his wallet.<br/>
“I know. I know.” He placed a five on the counter, “Can I also grab a chocolate chip muffin?”<br/>
“Comin’ right up.” He slipped that money into one of the various pockets and walked over to the pastry counter.<br/>
He slipped on a pair of plastic gloves, carefully grabbing the muffin and setting it on a small platter. He slid that plate over to him, removing the gloves from his hands, and tossed them away before making his way over to him.<br/>
“Mind if I ask you something?” Gen asked as he placed the money in the register.<br/>
“Lol you just did though.” He teased, Gen holding in his laugh as he shut the drawer.<br/>
“I'm serious. It's about those dreams I've been having.” Gen reiterated, Sketch no longer messing with him.<br/>
“Yeah. Of course. Shoot.” He knew not to mess around with such a touchy subject, learning his lesson from the silent treatment he got for a few weeks.<br/>
“Have you ever been to any beach states?”<br/>
“No. Not since I was 12.” He answered, his mind still occupied in remembering back to what beach it was. “I think it was the one in Florida.” He looked back at Gen, who was lost in his own thoughts. “Why do you ask?”<br/>
“I've been having dreams of a beach and it's the same beach every time.” Gen sighed. He propped his elbow onto the countertop and rested his head in his palm. “And we haven't met before we became friends?”<br/>
Sketch shook his head. “Even though it feels like we knew each other longer, I'm pretty sure I had no idea, someone, as you existed.”<br/>
Another sigh escaped Gen as he backed away from the counter, “Guess I was farther than I thought.”<br/>
“I can talk to your fiancé if you want. Maybe he doesn't want to tell you because it might be too much?” He suggested, Gen shaking his head.<br/>
“That's not a good idea. He isn't really fond of me making friends,” he rolled his eyelight in annoyance as he recalled their argument on that subject from a few days ago, “says they're the reason I forgot everything.”<br/>
“So he won't tell you what happened, but he's willing to say who caused it?” Gen nodded and Sketch stood up with a huff, “That's bullshit.” He grabbed a napkin from the dispenser and grabbed a pencil from his pocket.<br/>
“Where did you-”<br/>
“An artist always has one on him.” He joked, emptying his pockets to show off his collection of various art supplies before shoving them all back in, Gen snickering as he did so. “Anyways. Call me when your shift’s over. I'll walk with you home and I'm going to help you get the truth out of him. Whether you want to or not.” He slid the napkin across the counter to him.<br/>
“I don't want to cause you any trouble or make him have beef between you two. I'd want my best friend to be my best man at my wedding.”<br/>
“Don’t worry about it.” Gen gave him an unconvinced glance, “I’ll show up anyway.” He waved off, standing up from his chair. “See ya in a few hours.”<br/>
Gen waved as he walked out, his hand slowly coming back down to his side. Sketch was one of those persistent folks, one who stands for justice no matter what the price is and never backs down. Gen returned to his work, collecting the dishes off empty tables as he thought to himself.<br/>
‘If he shows up, I’m going to get lectured for trying to leave him again. God, why is he so self-conscious about our relationship?’ He swept trash off the tables as that thought processed in his head. ‘Gotta come up with something quick.’</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Palette's POV</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Palette let out a yawn, watching yet another orange freeway sign pass by out the corner of his socket. He had been in his car and driving nonstop for about four hours now. He glanced over at his GPS, seeing that he has quite the journey ahead of him, and groaned loudly. He switched on the radio, his phone immediately connecting with the bluetooth in his car, and began playing the music in his playlists. He took a quick glance at the GPS and saw the purple path stretch on for a while. He glanced back at the road, his hand reaching up from the gear stick, and tapped the purple road.<br/>
“13 hours duration. You are on the fastest route.” The robotic voice relayed.<br/>
“Sun’s already setting.” Palette mumbled, reading the green sign on the side of the road. “Hope Fayetteville has some nice motel.” He pulled over to the side, pulling the GPS off its stand, and looked over for any motels close to him.<br/>
He scanned the area, tapping on a few and reading their reviews. Most of them were positive but rated very low in stars. He finally stumbled across one that had a good rating in stars, positive comments, and for a much cheaper price than the others he reviewed. He double tapped on it, setting it as his new destination, and merged back onto the road.<br/>
“Take exit 356 for I-295 toward International Airport/Savannah/St Augustine. Keep left at the fork, follow signs for Interstate 295 N/Int'l Airport/Savannah.” Palette nodded softly to the music as he listened to his new directions.<br/>
He mindlessly listened to the songs as he drove, his focus directed more at the road than anything else. It was until a certain song played did his focus switch. It was their song. He turned it up slightly, letting the familiar beats fill his non-existent ears. His hand reached over to the passenger seat and patted it softly to the beat. He felt his hand being held, shooting a quick glance to see Goth sitting there with his hood down and a bright smile on his face.<br/>
“To be young and in love in New York City.” He sang, Palette blinking a few times to have the memory of his vanish. “To not know who I am but I still know that I'm good as long as you're here with me.”<br/>
But that didn’t happen. With every blink, that memory grew stronger until he was convinced that it was real. He returned the strong grip, hearing him let out a soft chuckle as he always does.<br/>
“To be drunk and in love in New York City, but not be into morning coffee. Burning through the hours talking.”<br/>
“Damn.” Palette mumbled, rubbing his thumb over the bony knuckles of his lover. It was like his own living hell. He knew he wasn't here, but his imagination was letting that memory surface and become as real as he wished it'd be.<br/>
“I like me better when I'm with you.” He added, glancing over to see Goth’s gaze already set on him.<br/>
“I knew from the first time,” Goth started, resting his head on his shoulder as he embraced his right arm.<br/>
“I stayed for a long time cause.” Palette finished, pressing a kiss ot the top of his skull.<br/>
“I like me better when.” That pause was meant for Palette to fill in, just like he always did whenever it played.<br/>
“I like me better when I’m with you.” With that single line, his Goth disappeared and he was left alone once again, surrounded by the sound of various beats.<br/>
“Take exit 35B on the left  for Interstate 95 N toward Savannah/Int'l Airport and merge onto I-95 north..” The robotic voice brought him back to reality.<br/>
He didn’t realize this song had reduced him to tears until he saw his vision blur and tears roll down his cheekbones. He quickly wiped those away and took a few deep breaths, trying to calm down and keep it together while out on a road like this. He did as told and sped up to shorten the duration of his trip to the motel. He passed over several cities, all lit up brighter than anything he had ever seen. Because of this drive, he realized how big the world is, and, even though his world was falling apart, everything around him continued to function as if nothing was wrong in the first place. He shook his head to clear his thoughts again, and checked the map. He had passed Georgia a long time ago and was close to leaving South Carolina to enter North Carolina.<br/>
An involuntary yawn left him as he thought of a bed to sleep in for the night. He took that exit, being told that he had just a mere 14 minutes left until he can be united with a slightly less comfortable bed in a protected room. He pulled up to the parking lot of Ramada Plaza Fayetteville, finally turning off his car for a much needed rest, and grabbed his wallet and phone before stepping out his car. He walked over to the entrance, locking the car behind him as he stepped in. He noticed the absence of the manager of the front desk, and slowly made his way to the desk. He stared down the bell on the counter in front of him, his hand hovering above it nervously. Eventually, he pressed down on it, the chiming triggering another memory of him. </p><p>“I told you we should’ve gone home earlier. Now we have to stay in some gross motel.” Goth whined, Palette laughing as he continued to drive.<br/>
“It’s either that or we keep on driving all night.” He suggested, Goth shaking his head.<br/>
“You won’t let me drive and I want you to get some sleep too.” Goth fought weakly, Palette giving him a loving smile.<br/>
“Motel it is then?” He inquired, Goth rolling his eyelight playfully, grabbing hold of his free hand.<br/>
“Motel it is then.” He gave in, Palette laughing as he pressed his temple against Goth’s gently and kissed the back of his hand.<br/>
They pulled up to the parking lot of the motel, hopping out the car to brush the sand that clung to their clothes. Palette opened up the doors to the back seat and grabbed their duffle bag. With a gentle kick, the door shut and the car locked.<br/>
“Goth everything?” Palette joshed, Goth hitting his arm teasingly.<br/>
“You’re never gonna forget that pun, huh?” Palette shook his head, a smile playing at his lips.<br/>
The two walked in together, Palette approaching the front desk. His usual smile was replaced with a mischievous smirk as his hand neared the bell.<br/>
“Palette. Don’t you dare-” Goth was cut off when he slammed his hand down on it countless times, Goth trying to hold back his laughter when he saw the expression of the annoyed worker.</p><p>“Um, sir? Can I help you?” Palette blinked a few times and glanced around.<br/>
He hated his imagination so much. This wasn't that motel. Goth wasn’t here with him. He was alone in the lobby with the manager.<br/>
“I booked a room not too long ago?” His tone came off more disappointed than he thought it would’ve.<br/>
“Yes, of course. One night for Mr. Roller?” Palette nodded.<br/>
“That’s me.” He mumbled as he presented his licenses.<br/>
“Alright. ” She retrieved the log book and pulled open a drawer with keys fit snuggly in their place. “Please sign in and is there anyone else joining you?”<br/>
Palette’s eyelights darted up in question, seeing her face flushed, and rolled his eyelights.<br/>
“No. Just me.” he answered roughly, setting the pen down a little harder than he anticipated.<br/>
“Got something on your mind?” She raised another question as she handed him the keys to his room.<br/>
Palette wasn’t exactly ready to spill his story, but a thought hit him. If he could let her know, she could spread word around to those who come to stay here, and, if he was lucky, someone who has seen him would let him know of his whereabouts.<br/>
“I’m looking for my boyfriend.” He saw her facial expressions droop down just a bit, but saw a smile soon appear.<br/>
“Wanna take a seat and tell me about this guy? If you have a flyer, I could hang it up in the lobby with your number on it.” She suggested, a wave of relief flooding over Palette.<br/>
“I do. Yeah. Thank you so much for helping me out. You don't know how much this means to me.” He rambled as he pulled out one of the many flyers that cluttered his backpack.<br/>
“He’s quite the cutie.” She whistled, Palette looking through his photo gallery as he hummed.<br/>
“He’s my cutie, that’s for sure.” He murmured, double tapping on picture to zoom in on his face.<br/>
The front desk clerk laughed, Palette glancing up from the photo confused, “You guys are too freaking cute. Tell me about him.”<br/>
“There not much to tell since he’s so readable, like he wears his thoughts on him. At least I think so. He’s way shorter than me, which makes him adorable in my opinion. He always has a white cloak on, never seen without it.” He informed, the woman nodding as she stood up to hang it on the front desk.<br/>
“Your number?”<br/>
“727-571-0577. It’s on the flyer.” He answered.<br/>
“Just making sure.You came here from Florida?” She asked, Palette nodding as he watched her hang it up along with a side note.<br/>
“He means the world to me and I’m going to find him.” He stated, scrolling through his phone to book the next motel at New York.<br/>
The clerk sighed, a sympathetic smile tugging at her lips. “I wish you good luck on finding him.”<br/>
“Thank you, Miss…” Palette then realized he was in a pretty personal conversation with a woman he didn’t know the name of.<br/>
“Oh shit. My bad. I forgot my badge at home. I’m Polyxene. Polly for short..” She introduced, extending her hand for him to shake.<br/>
“You already know my name, but Palette Roller.” He humored, shaking her hand.<br/>
“Where you headed then?” She raised another question.<br/>
“New York. Hopefully I could get in touch with someone high up and spread the word. I just want to know if he’s safe.”<br/>
“Hey. My girlfriend lives up there. What part of New York?”<br/>
“I was just going to hit up New York City. I’m not really familiar with the area.”<br/>
“Shame. You should hit up Little Falls by the end of the night. She lives there and I’m sure she’ll let you stay with her for the night.” She suggested, Palette giving her a quizzical look.<br/>
“You really think she’d trust me as easily as you’re saying she will?”<br/>
“I mean you’re gay, so no interest in women at all?” He shook his head and she beamed, “That cancels out the fear of being raped, and, even though we just talked, I can tell you’re too pure for that.”<br/>
“How?” He challenged, the clerk shutting her eyes to bring out her bird like wings. “Oh, a bird?”<br/>
“Harpy, mind you. Plus I watch a whole bunch of Sherlock Holmes and deductions are a new thing I’m trying out so that it isn’t painfully obvious.” She justified, hiding them once again. “So I can kinda tell everything about you beforehand.”<br/>
“So that's how you knew my name and that I was from Florida. Unless you like memorizing area codes for fun.”<br/>
“I can see why he likes you.” She snickers as she nodded. “Pretty much.”<br/>
“Thanks so much for that offer though. Please do let her know then and ask if she’s seen him around.”<br/>
“I’ll call her once I get you situated in your room for toni-” Her ringtone brought her sentence to a brief pause. She held up a single finger and dug into the pocket of her uniform to pull her phone out in a motion. “Speak of the devil.” She picked it up. “Hi baby. How are you?”<br/>
Palette did his best to mind his own business, ringing up Goth’s phone only to be led directly to his voicemail once again.<br/>
“This is bookworm nerd Goth.” He listened to himself tease, Goth’s laughter in the background accompanied by the rustling when they fought over the phone.<br/>
“And this is Palette Toilet Paper Roller.” Both laughed at that, Palette letting out a choked sob.<br/>
“We’re too cool to answer your call, so leave a message at the beep!” They cheered, the sound following.<br/>
He hung up the phone, trying to hold back his grief.<br/>
“Yeah. Mister Roller should be pulling up late afternoon tomorrow so- Yes I’ve checked him. His intentions aren’t bad.” There was a pause and Polly sighed. “You don’t trust me, baby?”<br/>
A sigh of relief escaped her and she nodded. “I’ll see if I can head up for the weekend. I wanna see you too, you know.” She teased, glancing over to see Palette’s head in his hands. “I gotta go now. See you Saturday. Mwah! Love you! Good night!” She hung up the phone and sat down beside the broken monster. “Hey it’ll be alright.”<br/>
“It’s my fault.” He coughed out, the lump in his throat choking him. “I should’ve stopped him from going. I should’ve told him to back away from Gothy.”<br/>
“Woah. Him? Who-”<br/>
“Another skeleton by the name of Cray.” He brushed away his tears with a quick swipe of his sleeve. “I knew he was bad news. It was his fault that Gothy disappeared and their bodies were never found. I know they’re out there and it’s his fault that Gothy’s lost.” He rambled, ready take off.<br/>
“Calm down, dude.” She grasped his hand and pulled him back down to his seat. “You need to rest and you can head out after breakfast tomorrow.” She instructed, cutting him off before he could even say anything. “I already told Edith about your hubby, and she said she’s on the lookout. You need to rest.”<br/>
Palette took a deep breath, exhaling carefully as he rested his head in the palms of his hands. He glanced over at the motel manager, who gave a patient smile as she rubbed his back comfortingly.<br/>
“Get some sleep. I’ll wake you up early if you want.” She offered, Palette nodding as he slowly stood up from the table. “It’s the last room on the right.” She directed, Palette nodding before he took off quietly.<br/>
The wood flooring creaked beneath his feet as he made his way down the corridor, the doors to the other rooms shut tight with tags hanging from the handle. A few were occupied here and there, but the rooms around his own were unoccupied. He gently pushed the door open, revealing a good sized room with a queen sized bed placed by the window with it’s nightstand on the left side. Palette shut the door quietly behind him, yawning once again as he crawled under the covers. With Goth’s cloak still around his shoulders, he passed out easily. His dreams weren’t any better, waking him up every hour or two to remind him that it was all his fault that Goth was taken. He gave up on sleep the third time he woke up in a cold sweat and headed out to sit in the lobby. He gathered his things, checking his phone to see several missed calls from Geno and one from Reaper followed by a text by both. He unlocked his phone, seeing Goth’s cheerful face be covered by the apps on his phone, and looked at the messages.<br/>
Geno: I tried calling and guessed your phone died. Where have you reached? Where are you right now? Have you found him yet? Are you doing okay?<br/>
Palette sighed disappointingly as he slid back to the main menu of all his messages and peeked at the one Reaper sent.<br/>
Reaper: I’ve checked the west coast and got nothing. I’m gonna head out internationally. Text me whenever you find him.<br/>
Palette slid back to Geno’s messages and began typing up a response.<br/>
Palette: I’m in Fayetteville's Motel, in North Carolina. I’m fine but I haven’t found Goth yet. I’m still looking and I’ve posted flyers in the motel. Hopefully, I find him soon. Talk soon.<br/>
He sent that text and locked his phone. He realized then that he didn’t have the time nor the patience to wait for breakfast and then go. His gut told him to go now and that’s what he was going to do. He pulled out another flyer and began writing a short message to Polly, leaving it on the front desk before taking off. He got back into his car, backed out the parking space, and drove away with determination burning in his soul. He switched on his more upbeat music, one with several beat drops to keep him energized and awake. He hasn’t been able to get a good night’s sleep since Goth vanished, nor did he want it. Not until he was back by his side.<br/>
Time flew by as he drove down the freeway, the windows rolled down for the cool breeze. He passed through Virginia and Pennsylvania in 9 hours, his soul beating fast when he saw the towering buildings from afar.<br/>
“Don’t worry Gothy.” Palette muttered, hearing the soft chiming of the GPS, “I’ll find you.”<br/>
“Follow NY-205 N, Co Hwy 22 and NY-167 N to S Ann St in Little Falls.” The robotic voice of the GPS announced, Palette speeding up to get there faster. He pulled out his phone and sent a quick text to Geno before focusing on the road once again.<br/>
Palette: I’m at New York. I’m going to find him.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Gen's POV</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The diner’s breakfast hours began to die down, Gen taking his time to collect the tips that were left by his customers. He slipped the bills and few coins into the smaller pocket of his waist apron. With another table cleaned, he headed into the back to drop off the dirty dishes collected.<br/>
“Guess rush hour’s over?” Raspberry teased, tying up her apron to cover for the dishwasher.<br/>
“Yeah. It’s settling down. Wanna see if we could go grab lunch?” Gen asked, Raspberry nodding.<br/>
“Unless your clingy fiance shows up, I’m down. I just gotta wash these dishes and wait for the others to come back from their breaks.” She informed, Gen nodding as he gathered up more clean utensils and napkins to wrap them up in.<br/>
His mind wandered from one excuse to another, trying to find a way to tell Sketch that he could ask his fiance himself, but found a loophole in every excuse he came up with. He let out a heavy sigh as he wrapped up the clean utensils. All he could do was wait for his shift to be over and hope he forgets about his promise. The front door bell chimed, Goth looking up to find just the monster he was hoping would avoid him for the rest of the day.<br/>
“Hey buddy!” He waved, taking a seat at his usual spot.<br/>
“Hey Sketch. The usual, I assume?” Gen inquired, only to be confused when Sketch shook his head to the offer. “Then-”<br/>
“I wanted to see if you wanted to have lunch with me.” He answered.<br/>
“I was asking Razz the same thing, actually. So, unless you’re buying.” He teased, earning a laugh from the artist.<br/>
“I’m fine with those conditions.” He stood up from the stool and watched him walk from around the counter to join his side.<br/>
“Looks like I’m ditching you, Razz.” Gen called out teasingly, hearing his coworker let out a mock groan.<br/>
“Stood up again. However will I live?” She exclaimed, resting her arm over her forehead dramatically. “I have no other friends besides Gen. Guess I’ll go home to my cats.”<br/>
Gen and Sketch laughed at her, Razz snickering as she waved them both off.<br/>
“Where’d you have in-” The front bell’s chime interrupted his sentence.<br/>
“Ready for lunch, love?” Gen turned around to see his fiance standing by the door with his cap in hand and a smile on his face.<br/>
“Yeah. Of course.” He headed over to his side quickly and tried to leave before his friend had a chance to introduce himself. “Let’s-” Of course, luck was not on his side and he just had to say something.<br/>
“Hi. I’m Sketch, Gen’s-”<br/>
“Co-worker!” Gen filled in hurriedly, “See you after lunch!” Gen waved him goodbye, hoping that Sketch wouldn’t question his sudden decision, and walked out the door with his arm linked with his fiance’s.<br/>
“You sure that wasn’t one of your friends?” Craze asked when they stepped outside, throwing the loose end of his scarf over his shoulder.<br/>
“Y-Yeah. I just work with him. We aren’t friends.” Gen reassured, hugging his arm tightly to convince him and move past this topic. “It’s really cold, isn’t it?”<br/>
“Winter’s always hits hard now.” Craze chuckled as they watched the snow fall over the city, removing his jacket to drape it over him.<br/>
“You don’t have to-”<br/>
“It’s alright, love. As long as you’re alright, I’ll be fine.” He assured, snickering at how fast his blush crept up onto his cheekbones. “Anywhere in mind for lunch?”<br/>
“Whatever you want. You know I’m okay with anything.”<br/>
Craze glanced over to see him fiddling with the scarf around his neck. He let out a heavy sigh, a cloud of vapor escaping him, and Gen looked over at him to see him smiling.<br/>
“W-What?”<br/>
“Wanna go ice skating before grabbing lunch?” He asked, gesturing to the people up ahead heading onto the rink. “I remember you saying you wanted to try it out.”<br/>
“Really?!” Gen clung to his arm tightly, earning a soft laugh and a kiss to his temple.<br/>
“Whatever you want, love.” He assured, Gen running up ahead to the rinks with Craze following slowly behind.<br/>
The snow crunched beneath his shoes as he ran, his soul swelling with excitement the closer he got to it.<br/>
“Come on!~”<br/>
Gen stopped running, turning around to find whoever it was calling out to him. It sounded familiar, the same enthusiastic playful voice he heard several times in his dreams. He spun around in hopes of seeing the person from his dream, knowing that he would get the answers to his questions if he was around. Other than Craze, the crowd was a blur of people rushing past them. That’s when it started. A soft pounding in the back of his head caught his attention, causing him to slow down and clutch that portion of his skull carefully. He glanced up, watching his surroundings fade away. His other hand flew up to grab the rail of the stairs leading up from the subway station, reducing the force of his fall.<br/>
“Baby!” Craze ran up to him, kneeling in front of him as he offered him his hand. “Hey babe? You alright?” Craze asked.<br/>
“Y-Yeah- I-” His thoughts remained unfinished when Craze had scooped him into his arms.<br/>
“Why don’t we go home?” He mumbled, Gen shaking his head slowly.<br/>
“I-I have work.” He whined softly, his fiance having none of that.<br/>
“I’m going to call your boss and tell her what happened. See if she calls you back in or not.” Gen wasn’t giving him his full attention, only catching the attitude that came with his comment.<br/>
Gen couldn’t focus on the journey back home, his sockets growing heavy with every step his fiance took. Exhaustion took over and he eventually passed out before arriving at their apartment.<br/>
His sockets cracked open, the dimly lit room greeting him from his slumber, and he attempted to sit up, only to lie back down when he felt his head pound. The door swung open, the figure at the door walking over to his side to avoid disturbing whatever he held so carefully in his hands. He flipped the switch, the bedside lamps turning on to brighten the room, and revealed a small bowl in his hands and a warm smile on his face.<br/>
“How you feeling, baby?” Gen felt the bed dipped as the added weight shifted, the soft clank of the porcelain bowl echoing in the silent room.<br/>
“My head hurts.” He felt a pair of hands grab his sides and was assisted to a seated position.<br/>
“I’d bet. You were running a fever and you still went to work.” He grabbed the bowl off the nightstand and lifted the spoonful of the broth. “You should’ve stayed home. I’m sure your boss would understand.” Gen leaned against his tall form, wrapping his arms around his midsection as he opened his mouth for the first bite.<br/>
“I didn’t feel sick earlier.” He whined lightly as he took in the warm soup, swallowing to feel that warmth spread. “It really be like that sometimes.”<br/>
Craze let out a soft chuckle and raised another spoonful to his fiancé’s mouth.<br/>
“Who was that Sketch guy at work today?” He asked offhandedly, Gen shrugging as he tried to recall the person he deemed sketchy.<br/>
“Who was sketchy?” That seemed to make him laugh, shaking his head as he fed him the second bite.<br/>
“I meant the guy named Sketch. You said he’s a coworker of yours?” Gen couldn’t remember when he said that, giving another shrug as his response as he was fed once again. “So he isn’t a coworker?” Craze has a feeling that something like this would happen, he knew Gen was slipping from his hands and has to make sure he stays with him.<br/>
“I mean, he comes in sometimes.” He answered, some truth lying in his statement as he opened his mouth for another spoonful of the warm soup.<br/>
“Is he your friend?” He inquired, trying very hard to remain nonchalant about this potential threat. He might as well use his lover’s drowsy state to his advantage.<br/>
“Kinda? We talk sometimes.” He admitted, being fed the awaited spoonful with a small smile on his face.<br/>
“I’m surprised he has the nerve to come back to befriend you.” Craze started, going to feed Gen another bite when he was stopped by Gen’s concerned expression.<br/>
“W-What do you mean?”<br/>
‘Fuckin’ perfect. I got him scared. Now to tease him up.’ He thought devilishly, clearing his throat subtly as he raised yet another spoonful.<br/>
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll talk to him tomorrow and remind him of the restraining order we have against him.”<br/>
“W-Wait, Craze, what’d he do to me? Why do we have a restraining order?” He asked, the pounding in his head getting harsher with the added tension.<br/>
“I’m glad you lost those memories. It gave you nightmares and you would go nights without sleep.” He sighed, using gentle force to send the now cold soup down his throat.<br/>
“What did he do to me?”<br/>
“He raped you.” Gen’s sockets went void, his concerns melting away and a grim expression resting on his face.<br/>
“H-He what?” Craze nodded in confirmation, Gen holding the back of his pounding head.<br/>
“He raped you, love.” He repeated gently, as if his lies were true and he wanted to ease the news on him. “You went over to his place to hangout and you didn’t come back when you promised. I went to look for you and found you knocked out with him…” Gen ducked his head in shame, the purple on his cheekbones burning his face, as he listened to him try to put it lightly, “in you. I got a restraining order put on him, but I guess he must’ve heard about your memory loss and tried to reinstate himself in your life again.”<br/>
Gen removed his arms from where they were attached, shrinking away from his fiancé as the guilt ate him away. He heard a heavy sigh leave his side he bed and the familiar clank of the bowl resting on the nightstand once again before feeling the subtle shifting of his positioning.<br/>
“I’m sorry I had to remind you.” He murmured, peppered chaste kisses along his jawline and a few to his collarbone. “I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it a million times if need be. His mistake doesn’t make me love you any less.”<br/>
“B-But, I’m- I’ve been u-used.” Craze’s misshaped eyelight widened when he heard him sniffle, gently turning him over to find his magic gathered at the edge of his hollow sockets. “I-I’m am i-idiot for t-trusting him again.”<br/>
“It’s okay, babe. You lost your memories. It’s not your fault that happened.” He wiped his tears away with a careful stroke of his thumb, smiling gently so that he could assure him that his ill temper hadn’t taken affect.<br/>
“B-but-” Craze rested a finger over his mouth, quieting his crying to soft whimpering, and pressed a kiss to his temple.<br/>
“No buts, baby. It’s not your fault and I won’t stand seeing you cry like this. You’re my precious Gen, and I want you to know that I’ll take care of him.” Gen remained silent for a few seconds, Craze opening his mouth to say a few more reassuring words, but stopped when he saw him nod carefully.<br/>
“I-I believe you.” His voice hoarse from trying to hold back from crying too loud. “I’m sorry I-”<br/>
“Shh~” He cooed, lying down beside him to bring him closer to him. “You have nothing to be sorry for. I should’ve protected you better.” Gen shook his head slowly, trying to avoid making his throbbing condition any worse, and buried his face into his chest.<br/>
“You’re amazing. I love you.” Craze felt his soul flutter at his lover’s words, pressing a kiss to the top of his head.<br/>
“Love you too.” A hum of content left the smaller as he let out a yawn shortly after.<br/>
Craze reached over and shut the light, the bedroom dark save for the lights of the city pouring in through the flimsy curtains.<br/>
‘If you would’ve done this earlier, I wouldn’t have to do all this just to keep you with me.’ Craze thought as he reached for his phone to find several missed calls and ignored texts from his parents flood his lock screen. With a tap of his finger, he cleared them off and placed his phone on airplane mode for the night.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Gen's POV</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Gen's eyelight wavered as he started to stir, trying to focus on identifying the blurry figure leaning over him. His mind was in a limbo between conscious and unconscious, making the seemingly simple task a bit more complicated.</p><p>"P...Pap-" a violent cough broke up his whine, his throat parched, agitated due to his attempts at speaking.</p><p>"Shh~ I'm right here, hun." He wasn't given a chance to ask for water, feeling the figure help him sit upright and the glass held up to his mouth. "Drink up, love." The dazed skeleton obliged as he started to drink blindly, the scratchy feeling in his throat subsiding the longer he drank.</p><p>"TT-hank you." He huffed quietly as he leaned into his familiar hold. "There's no way I could convince you to let me go to work, is there?" His fiancé's quiet whine was a good enough answer, eliciting a muted hum from the smaller as he relaxed to the feeling of gentle kisses be peppered along his clavicle. "Baby, please~" he pleaded in a tone similar to his partner's whine, no avail. It ended the same way he knew it would.</p><p>"But Gen, you work so many hours already, love. Give yourself a day off today." Gen spared a glance at their calendar wall, spotting that most of the sticky notes that covered the days were the ones he'd use to mark his work schedule. "Please? For me?~" The taller continued to plead, hoping that his tone of voice had done the trick and earned him a day of cuddles.</p><p>"But you have work today too." He pointed out the soft green colored one right beneath his own lavender sticky note. "If I don't go, I'm going to be here by myself and we both know how well that usually goes." He didn't feel the need to remind his fiancé of his antics. He couldn't sit still for a second, always needing something to do to occupy his time. He learned his lesson last time when he came home to find the apartment spotless and the kitchen table flooded with new unique dishes.</p><p>"You forget that the office I go to is only if there's a client waiting for me." Gen giggles and shrugged at his little teasing.</p><p>"Guess that's all this brain is good for..." He mumbled quietly with a melancholy smile on his face, a quiet sigh leaving the taller as he carefully cupped his cheekbone.</p><p>"I'm sorry, baby. I didn't mean to bring it up like that. I was only-" Gen snickered and hushed his incessant rambling with a quick peck, enjoying the loving gaze that followed after.</p><p>"It's okay, hun. I know you're only humoring me. You don't have to apologize for it." Craze attempted to lower his gaze, a painfully obvious sign that he insisted to keep that guilt circulating his thoughts. "Craze," that had his attention in a moment's notice. Having used little nicknames when addressing him, his actual name had become the easiest way to grab his attention with all seriousness, "you have nothing to worry about. I'm fine and am going to do everything I can to remember and retain all that I can." He poured a bit when he saw that his words hadn't accompanied the relief he wished to see wash over his features. "Craze, talk to me. What's bothering you?"</p><p>"I guess what's bothering me is how determined you are in remembering everything you have forgotten." He finally met his gaze once more and, with a sad smile, pressed a small kiss to his forehead. "Promise me that you won't push yourself too hard into remembering. If it comes back, it'll come back." Gen chuckled and nodded, holding his pinkie up as a sign of good faith.</p><p>"I promise." Craze laughed and twined his pinkie around the smaller's, the two shook on it to put the feeling of doubt to rest. "Now, if you're staying home with me and I'm not allowed to head out anywhere while I'm recovering, what do you suppose we do?"</p><p>"There's an infinite number of things we could do. Movie marathon, pillow talk, maybe even what leads up to those talks~" Craze cooed quietly, resting his hands over the smaller's midsection as he nuzzled into the back of his neck. "We still have a baby name that needs to be used." He murmured quietly as he waited to hear his response to that.</p><p>"Hun, you know my rule about that." Gen gently nudged the taller away with his shoulder, hoping he'd pull away in a matter of minutes. He didn't seem to get the hint, the subtle grinding motion being enough to let the smaller know just what his fiancé was thinking about. It never ceased to baffle Gen that after everything he had gone through, his fiancé still saw him as beautiful and untainted, someone that was still worthy of his love. Though he'd be lying if he said he found the attention strange and desired anything but that. He shifted slowly in his lap, moving to straddle the other and bury his blushing face into his neck. "I want to have a baby with you, I want to start a family more than anything, but only when we're financially stable and when we're out this crummy apartment making an affordable living." His words didn't stop his fiance from delivering gentle notes of affection to any area he had access to. "I don't want them to see us struggle to make ends meet in order to give them what their little souls desire." Gen pulled away slightly and met Craze's gaze, holding it as his hand reached up to cradle his beloved's face. "You understand where I'm coming from, right?" His voice was soft and unsure as he looked for signs of support from the other.</p><p>"I get it, sweetheart. I know you're worried about the future our children might have," Gen sighed with relief as he admitted to it, relaxing in the other's hold as he listened to the silence settled between them momentarily, concern and guilt riddling his face as he heard his next few words, "but I promised you that no matter what happens, I will always have enough to bring food to the table and a little something extra every time. I'll take care of you."</p><p>"I know-" He froze up when he said that, blinking back as he heard the voice inside his head reiterate those last five words in a hushed whisper, the memory remaining vague and blurred. "You're right. You always... find some way to take care of me." He hummed hesitantly. His words had felt familiar feel as if they've had this conversation sometime before. "How about this? We can try, our first attempt in a few minutes, if you let me go to work for the evening shift." Craze whined at the wager, feeling as though the conditions he posed were unfair on his part. "Deal's a deal. If you hold up your end, I'll hold up mine~" he purred quietly, the soft kiss pressed against his clavicle seemed to be the straw that broke the camel's back.</p><p>"Alright, alright." He leaned away from the smaller's warm touch and pulled him in for a quick kiss, a subtle smirk on his face as he eyed his fiancé. "You know my weaknesses all too well."</p><p>"It's why I agreed with your proposal, isn't it?" He teased as he moved to get out of bed, Craze grabbing hold of his arm before he could slip away. Gen turned back, his bone brow askew as he spared a glance at the hand wrapped around his wrist.</p><p>"It was my turn on breakfast duty." He gestured to the tray of pancakes and a cup of what smelled like chamomile tea sitting right beside the tall glass of orange juice.</p><p>"I was pretty sure our schedule was every other day."</p><p>"You want me to force you onto your feet after watching you run a high fever last night and cook for me when I'm perfectly capable of doing it?" He scoffed and pulled him back toward the bed. "No. Today, your wishes are my command." A breathy giggle left his partner as he rolled his eyelight at his behavior.</p><p>"Is a shower off limits?"</p><p>"So long as you keep the door unlocked, I have no objections." Gen opened his mouth to argue that he'd be fine in the shower and the door being unlocked would be going a bit overboard, but Craze beat him to it and provided the answer he wanted. "I don't want to waste time trying to unscrew a doorknob. If you faint again and something happens, I might just have a heart attack if I find out I wasn't cautious enough."</p><p>"You love me too much, hun." Craze slipped off the bed, turning back to his fiance to hear his adorable laughter bubble out from him when he hoisted him into his arms, the smaller wrapping his arms around his neck as he carried him to the bathroom.</p><p>"It's why I proposed to you, isn't it?" He set him down on the sink, his hands slowly moving down to grab the hem of his shirt.</p><p>"Babe, we talked about this." He rested his hands over the taller's, effectively keeping his shirt from being pulled off.</p><p>"But baby~" He whined quietly as he tugged on the end of his shirt, trying to release his hands from his partner's hold. "You'll have to shower again anyway."</p><p>"Not if you do a clean job~" Craze misshapen eyelights darted to meet Gen's gaze, spotting the subtle yet pleasant spark of lust in his eye. "Five minutes to freshen up and I promise I'm all yours until my evening shift."</p><p>"I'll be waiting. The bottom drawer might interest you though~" He cooed quietly before loosening his grip on his shirt and leaving him alone in the bathroom with the last kiss lingering on the smaller's 'lips'.</p><p>Gen muffled a short-lived squeal as the prospect of intercourse lingered in his mind. He carefully slid off the sink top and shut the door, leaving it unlocked as promised, and turned the shower faucet, feeling the warm waters hit his outstretched hand pleasantly. He was quick to discard his clothes from yesterday and climbed in just as fast, enjoying the warmth the shower enveloped him in. It didn't take long for the shower to end, stepping out of the bathroom fully dried and a towel wrapped around him. It wasn't long until he felt a pair of hands grab hold of his shoulders, turning him around. Wrapping an arm around his waist and pulling him close until he was flush against his body, Gen kept his gaze lowered, feeling a bit of shame nipping at his subconscious for craving the intimate loving his fiance was so determined on showing him in.</p><p>"Forgot your clothes?" Craze asked nonchalantly.</p><p>"Unfortunately." Gen sighed dramatically, sparing a knowing smile the other's way as he wrapped his arms around his neck lovingly.</p><p>"Is this part of upholding that little deal of yours?~" He cooed quietly, holding his chin gently and tilting his head up to meet his carnal grin.</p><p>"Unfortunately~" Gen repeated, his tone clearly proving the opposite of his answer.</p><p>"You play too damn much, sweetheart~" Craze growled lowly, hearing a soft purr escape the smaller as he started to deliver small notes of affection. His attempts to have Gen get all riled up were working, feeling his precious Gen turn to putty in his hands immediately.</p><p>"You're going to render my legs useless, aren't you?" Gen hummed as he felt himself get back into a wall, a quiet moan leaving his 'lips' as his fiance came across a sweet spot of his.</p><p>Craze hefted the smaller up, gently guiding the other's legs so that they wrapped around his waist before unzipping his pants. He kissed him ardently, a low growl of approval leaving him when he heard Gen's adorable moans slip out. He pulled away, leaving the smaller panting as he ground on his waking magic teasingly, the towel that was wrapped around his slim body starting to loosen its hold on him.</p><p>"Unfortunately~" He mirrored his lover's words, catching the sound of his giggling before pulling him into another heated kiss.</p><p>True to his word, Gen had felt sore after the multiple sessions he put him through, his lover apologizing immensely for doing so and even made up for it with a soothing massage. His gentle hands were like magic against the marked flesh, soft purrs leaving him every time he managed to ease the pain in his legs. He wasn't expecting the little happy ending surprise his fiance gave but wasn't opposed when he lost interest in the world around him, his overwhelmed mind more focused on how gifted the taller's hands were. With his legs all healed up and his shoulders eased of any tense knots it had, Gen flipped onto his back and pulled Craze in for a kiss as payment, the taller more than happy to accept.</p><p>"Thanks, hun~" He cooed playfully as he slipped out from under him, stretching a bit before getting out of bed and heading to the closet. "See you when I get home from work." He blew a kiss his fiance's way and heading back into the bathroom to get ready for his evening shift.</p><p>"See ya, sweetheart." Craze returned after fixing his pants, leaving the shirt tossed aside seeing that he wasn't going to leave the comfort of his apartment any time soon.</p><p>Gen pulled on his work shirt and black slacks, tying the waist apron around him before sending a small wave to his happy fiance. With the final goodbye, he stepped out and raced down the stairs, a subtle skip to his step as he made his way to the diner. He caught sight of the lit-up sign and the small crowds forming outside, knowing that his tips were going to be much higher tonight, and walked in, the front door's bells chiming softly to announce his arrival. He headed straight for the back and clocked in, his coworkers catching sight of him doing so and raced to his side.</p><p>"Gen, you crazy idiot. We got the call. You doing okay?" One asked, Gen flashing a bright smile as he grabbed a spare pen from the desk.</p><p>"Wouldn't be here if I wasn't." He answered with a giggle.</p><p>"You shoulda stayed at home and rested." One had said, Gen laughed and waved it off, heading to the welcome desk and grabbing a few menus to seat the next guests.</p><p>"Like I can sit down for more than two minutes without going crazy." He joked, looking to the customers with a friendly smile. "If you'll follow me, a booth is open for your party."</p><p>Just as he got the guests seated and their orders written down, he bumped into the last person he wanted to see tonight, a look of pure disgust washing over him when he saw his cheerful smile.</p><p>"Gen! I'm so glad to see you. You didn't call yesterday and didn't show up after your break. I was worried that something awful might've happened to you." The artisan admitted with a small laugh.</p><p>"You had no reason to be worried," Gen responded coldly, noticing the odd look he got in response to his words and stared at him with dead eyes. "Now what can I get you?" His voice lacked life and his sockets were both voided. Though a common sight to see, it still spooked the artist. But not enough to have the other leave him alone.</p><p>"This isn't like you, Gen. Are you feeling okay?"</p><p>"Sir, what can I get you tonight?" He reiterated as his gaze hardened as if daring the other to say something other than his order. It was a shame the artist didn't understand, taking that look as something that should raise even more concern for the other.</p><p>"What wrong, Gen? Is it something I did?"</p>
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<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Gen's POV</h2></a>
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    <p>Various emotions bounced around the smaller skeleton’s soul, feeling himself come to a fork when deciding whether he should blow up on him for taking advantage of him or confront him privately and save him the embarrassment. Despite everything he knew he had done, he couldn’t find it in himself to cause a commotion for the injustice, so he resorted to ignoring his questions for the time being.<br/>
“Funny. I thought you were going to help me jog my memories, not lose your own with me.” Gen chuckled dryly. Another party came walking into the diner, Gen grabbing hold of a few more menus to show the conversation coming to an end. “If you’ll excuse me.”<br/>
“Damn it, Gen,” Sketch reached out and grabbed hold of his free hand, Gen inhaling sharply and snatching it right back, “can’t you just tell me what’s wrong?”<br/>
“Touch me again and I’ll fucking scream bloody murder,” Gen growled threateningly, turning on his heel and putting on a smile for the customers waiting for him, “sorry about the wait. If you could follow me.” He ushered them inside and lead them to their table, annoyance nipping at the back of his head when he saw Sketch trailing behind the group. Once seated, he distributed the menus to each person, producing a notepad and pen from the waist apron pocket. “Is there anything I could start you all off with? Any drinks?” He jotted their preferences, effectively ignoring his so-called friend’s presence, and pocketed the notepad when they requested a few more minutes to look over the menus before making a definite selection. “Of course. Let me know when you all are ready to order and I’ll be right back after seating the other patrons.” he turned and bumped right into the artist, a small frown on his face as he pushed past him and tended to the party ready to order.<br/>
“Gen, avoiding my question is just going to make me worry more.” Sketch saw that his words weren’t getting to the smaller skeleton, a small frown working its way onto his face as he started to fall into the clutches of his frustration. He followed behind him and, before he got to the next table, grabbed hold of his shoulder and spun him around so that he could finally look him in the eyes. “What happened and why the hell am I getting-” Gen harshly jerked his shoulder forward, freeing it from the sudden grip.<br/>
“You want me to scream? I warned you once, and I’ll do it again. Don’t you dare-”<br/>
“Just tell me what I did so I know why you don’t want to talk to me. Is that too much to ask for?” Sketch said exasperatedly.<br/>
“I’m on the clock and I don’t have time for this. Either order something or I’ll get the cops to force you off the premises.” He warned, his tone of voice proving that this would serve as his final warning.<br/>
“Fine.” Sketch took a step back with both hands up to surrender. “This conversation isn’t over. I’m going to talk to you about whatever the hell it is after your shift.” He headed toward the open bar, ordering a drink to pass the time with.<br/>
Gen simply scoffed at the other’s words, rolling his eyelight, and tended to the waiting customers, apologizing for the wait and doing his best to serve them as quickly as he could. With Gen being quick on his feet, the customers that were put on hold had been tended to and served much faster than they had been expecting, his swiftness being drowned in compliments in terms of tips. He pocketed the fifty a party of ten had left behind, putting a big smile on the waiter’s face as he wiped it down with one quick swipe, and headed back to the front when the pager went off. As he moved past the guests, he could feel a heavy glare boring into the back of his skull, putting on a bright smile and doing his best to ignore the uncomfortable feeling.The cycle of serving, seating, and cleaning continued for a few hours more, finally hitting the end of that cycle at ten sharp. No more customers walked in and those inside were slowly starting to disperse. He was thankful to find hefty amounts of tips waiting for him at each of the table served, almost reduced to tears when he totaled all that he had collected. They were so close. A little more and Gen could finally ditch this job and leave the money making to his fiance, just as he wanted it to be. He went to the last table he was serving, a group of college students celebrating what seemed to be the end of their finals.<br/>
“Any refills on the whiskey?” A few hands went up, Gen gathering the glasses of those who asked onto a tray.<br/>
“Hey Gen?” The skeleton looked up to the one seated in the middle with a lopsided smile on his face. “Real quick. Choose a number for us.” Gen chuckled as he hoisted the full tray into his hands.<br/>
“What for?”<br/>
“Come on, please? We’re just trying to figure out who’s forking the bill over and who’s covering tip.”<br/>
“Alright, fair enough.” Gen thought of one, setting his mind on it, and gave a small nod. “I’ll be back with the drinks, that okay?” He headed off when given the unanimous yes, taking the tray to the bartender so she could fill the glasses up to the brim. The short pale woman running the bar gave Gen a warm smile when she saw him coming back, flipping her dark hair back before grabbing the whiskey off the shelf behind her.<br/>
“Those kids are going to be the reason we gotta restock so soon.” She giggled as she filled up the glasses. “We’re splitting the tip when we get it, you hear me Gen?” She teased lightheartedly.<br/>
“I hear ya, Demi.” He laughed quietly, his smile immediately fading when he saw the only occupant sitting at the far end of the bar. “He hasn’t gone home yet?”<br/>
“No, the poor guy keeps asking for the same drink. He’s waiting on someone, but I’m pretty sure he got stood up and is trying to drink the pain away.” She put her guess out there as she filled up the last glass, capping the alcoholic beverage before storing the bottle back onto the shelf.<br/>
“Do you do anything other than assume what's going on in people’s lives?” Gen joked, earning one of her sarcastic shocked gasps.<br/>
“How dare you shame my favorite pastime?” Gen laughed alongside her before heading back to the table, setting the tray down in the center to watch in empty in a matter of seconds.<br/>
“So Gen, you got that number?”<br/>
“Sure do.” He snickered as he collected the tray, tucking it under his arm.<br/>
“Between one and one hundred?” Another quick nod and the table started guessing. “I’m guessing fifty-three.”<br/>
“Put down seventy for me.” One man raised his glass up to indicated it was his guess.<br/>
“I’m sticking with twenty-four.”<br/>
“Glen, you’re gonna lose big time.” Gen chuckled at the little comment the only woman at the table said. “Twenty-five for me. So who was closer?”<br/>
“Him.” He pointed at the second person to guess. “Ninety-eight was my number.”<br/>
“Oh ho~ Glen you know what that means~” the winner cooed playfully as he shot a glance over at the waiter.<br/>
“I know, I know. Hold up. Your number was ninety-eight?” Gen nodded to confirm and watched him pull out his wallet. “Multiply that by ten, would ya?” Gen’s eyelight widened at the thought of getting such a large tip, doing as he was asked. “Nine hundred eighty, right?” Gen gave a nod, a bit hesitant this time, and watched him pull out a stack of hundreds, counting it before the waiter before setting it on the table. “Thanks for being such an awesome waiter and putting up with our bull. We appreciate it.”<br/>
“It was m-my pleasure to serve you all.” He stammered as he collected the emptied glasses, grabbing the tip and waving goodbye to the generous group after they paid for their drinks.”Demi, you’re going to love seeing this.” He handed the busser the glasses before heading over to the bartender, flashing the stack of hundreds and fanning them out to show off just how many bills were in that stack, his laughter bubbling out when he saw her jaw drop and the wash rag fall from her hands.<br/>
“How the hell did you manage?”<br/>
“My server magic, I suppose.” He mused, finally giving his feet a chance to rest. “I’ve gotta get home soon, tell my fiance the good news. When do you think everyone'll be ready to tip out?”<br/>
“As soon as everyone leaves.” She motioned to the skeleton still sitting at the end of the bar, dragging his finger along the rim of the shot glass as he patiently waited. “Poor guy shoulda taken the hint by now.”<br/>
“Better go drop that hint for him then.” Gen muttered, placing his tip back in his pocket before heading to the far end of the bar, taking a seat two chairs away from him to keep some distance, not out of fear but worry that he might succumb to the boiling rage he felt just by looking at the other and do something he’d most likely regret.<br/>
“We’re about to close up. Pay and get out.”<br/>
“I’ll pay triple if you just tell me why you’re avoiding me.” Gen remained silent at the offer. He propped his arms up on the counter and let out a quiet huff.<br/>
“Keep the money. I don’t need it.”<br/>
“Then what’ll it take for you to talk to me normally?” It was a pretty loaded offer. He knew his friend’s dedication, how he stayed true to his word, no matter how obscure the request was. “I’m willing to do literally anything.”<br/>
“Anything?” Gen reiterated to make sure the other knew what he was signing himself up for.<br/>
“Anything.” With his confirmation, Gen turned and face him, the face he once felt comfort from now seeming repulsive to the smaller, and dropped his gaze immediately.<br/>
“Answer me this. How long did you think the truth would stay away from me?” Sketch was at a loss when he heard his question. He couldn’t help him recollect his key memories, but was he really going to hold him accountable for that?<br/>
“Gen, I can’t determine how long the truth stays away from you. That’s only in the hand of one person and you know that better than anyone.” Somehow he knew he was going to single out the one person that had that power to either give or keep his memories, but he wasn’t going to make any mention of him in this conversation. His intentions were to get Sketch to confess to what he’s done, to tear the very foundations of his plan before he had a chance to build more upon it.<br/>
“I know that.” He didn’t want to bring Craze into this, knowing that he’d make false accusations against him. “But it also rests in my hands and I saw a memory that I didn’t want to see,” he braced himself, gaining the strength to confront him on his actions and get him to stray away from the automatic assumption of Craze being the problem, “one involving you.” The street artist was sent into a blind panic, trying to dig through his own memories to recall a time he’s met Gen before and blew his chance. Gen caught sight of his reaction, deeming the little secret his fiance let him in on held true. “Answer this question for me. Why’d you do it?”<br/>
“Why’d I do what?” Gen let out a quiet, clearly annoyed grunt at the question. He was done beating it around the bush, his want for an answer overcoming the slight embarrassment he felt for asking.<br/>
“Why’d you rape me?” Sketch’s sockets were voided of any light, blankly staring at the waiter as of trying to process what he had told him. “Sketch, you said you’d do anything, so answer the damn-”<br/>
“I didn’t.” He didn’t buy it, staring at the other with a disappointed gleam in his single eyelight. “I swear, I didn’t!” He reiterated only to watch the smaller cross his arms over his chest. “Gen, I’m being serious.”<br/>
“So you’re telling me what I saw is wrong? That I willingly banged you despite my committed relationship?” He hadn’t seen anything, Craze’s words being the only bit of evidence he had against him, but he felt as though if he could confess to that, other evidence wouldn’t be necessary.<br/>
“Gen, I mean this in the best way, but you’re, for lack of a better word, insane.” Sketch retorted, asking for another refill and one for his confused friend. “It never crossed my mind that I’d put you through that kind of torture, acting on it being a whole other impossible story.”<br/>
“Then tell me why'd I see it in one of my dreams? The guy clearly looked like you and I know that me waking up in tears doesn't mean it was voluntary.”<br/>
“Gen,” he knew he was walking on extremely thin ice, having to consider his next few words carefully. He understood that whatever he says now would have either cleared his name or ruined his friendship, “dreams don’t always have to mean something. I know you’ve been seeing a lot of small hazy glimpses into your past as piecing that stuff together is hard, but I can promise on my life that that dream is one that hasn’t happened and won’t ever happen.”<br/>
“But, white bones and mismatched eyelights,”<br/>
“Your fiancé’s matches that description too, ya know.” He started to absentmindedly play at the long sleeves as he mentioned that little fact, waiting for his friend to blow that little fact off for the sake of the argument.<br/>
“That’s different and you know it.” He huffed quietly, a soft lavender ringing his cheekbones as he dropped his gaze. “Fine. Let’s go with what you said, you didn’t do it. If you didn’t, why do I have a restraining order filed against you? Do you know the trouble you’d get in if I knew about that earlier.” Sketch stared at his friend blankly. “Sketch, I’m being serious right now. I don’t need you blanking out right now.”<br/>
“Gen, my records are clean as hell, but hypothetically speaking if I did have one, you would’ve just found out about this restraining order? After knowing me for three, almost four, months of knowing me. If you had one against me, you could’ve called the cops at any time and had me either fined or jailed instantly. If I had raped you, wouldn’t you want to know about the options you have up your sleeves to deal with it? Does all this not sound strange to you?” Sketch couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Not only was be being accused of raping his best friend, but there was a restraining order against him in Gen’s name that he had recently found out.<br/>
“I told you. I don’t have control over what I remember. If I saw you now, that isn’t-”<br/>
“Gen, be honest with me, a hundred percent honest.” Gen shifted a bit in his seat in attempts to distance himself from the other, Sketch finding no reason to bring up the other’s hesitation to stating the truth.”It wasn’t me you saw, was it?”<br/>
“Sketch, I know what I saw.” He defended, the boiling rage coming to a simmer as his mind started to debate the legitimacy of his fiance’s claims.<br/>
‘He’s right about one thing. Craze should’ve warned me. That should’ve been the first memory he told me about so I don’t fall for it again, so he can’t take advantage of me again. Maybe he thought his ‘no friends’ warning would have sufficed.” He didn’t like the thought that hit him but found nothing else that could explain Craze’s reluctance to remind him of this crucial detail earlier.<br/>
“I’m not saying you don’t know. I just want to make sure that you’re completely sure.” He took a deep breath, pinching his nasal bone as he tried to figure out what he could do to prove his innocence. Gen remained silent and Sketch turned his attention away from the smaller. “I know you’re sticking by what you saw since it’s the only concrete evidence you have helping you get your memory back, but you gotta believe me when I say that I have too much respect for you to stoop down to such a low level. Just because someone beat me to it and treated you right, then there’s nothing I could possibly do that will give me the result I desire.” Gen looked to the artist with wide sockets, watching him down the shot he had set before him and pulled out his wallet to pay as if he hadn’t said anything.<br/>
“W-What?”<br/>
“What?” Sketch reiterated calmly, setting the bills on the counter to pay for all that he drinks plus one for Gen, knowing he’d need it after the heavy news he unwillingly dropped on him.<br/>
“What you said. You like me in that way?” Sketch gave a sad smile and paid for one more shot, downing the drink as soon as it was set before him. “Sketch, I’m flattered, but-”<br/>
“I know, I know.” He chuckled weakly as he traced the brim of the shot glass. ”You aren’t like that. You’re a loving and loyal fiance with a soul as good as gold, a person that Craze is extremely lucky to have.” He remained distracted to avoid bringing any attention to his flushed face. “To be honest, I wasn’t going to say anything since I knew I didn’t stand a chance, but then this came up and I just-” he finally locked his gaze with Gen, his soul frozen when he found his gaze already set and focused on him, “I just need you to know that I can’t do that to you, to anyone for that matter. Like I physically can’t because it hurt me enough when I thought you were actually pissed off at me. I literally wouldn’t be alive right now had that been real and I actually put you through that torture.” Once he said his piece, he dropped his gaze and stood up from the barstool, leaving a tip for the barmaid. “If you weren’t meant to be mine, the only thing left for me is to be thankful to consider you a great friend of mine.” His soul sank at the sound of his friend’s voice so broken, shattering when he saw him start to get up in attempts to end the conversation there.<br/>
“Sketch, wait. I-” Gen turned in his seat and attempted to grab hold of his hand, to get the chance to apologize for the heavy accusation and forcing him to rip open a healing wound, but watched as he moved his arm out of his reach. It was bad enough that he had continued to lash out on the other despite him trying to pacify his anger, the thought of him not wanting anything to do with him after this fight was killing him. “Sketch, hold on, please!” He hopped off the stool and grabbed at the back of his shirt, effectively stilling him, and spun him around, hugging him tightly as he buried his face into his shirt, the guilt whirling inside him forcing tears to pool at the edge of his sockets. “I-I’m sorry, Sketch. I’m sorry I put you through all that and that I didn’t believe you the first time around an-and-” His muffled rambling came to an abrupt pause when he felt a pair of arms wrap around him.”S-Sketch?”<br/>
“It’s alright, Gen. You don’t have to beat yourself up over this.” His forgiveness only caused the smaller to wallow in his guilt some more, the tears that blurred his vision now streaming down his cheeks.<br/>
“B-But I was- and you- and…”<br/>
“Come on, now. You really think that I value our friendship so little that this fight would be the thing to end it?” The smaller of the two pulled back and rushed to wipe away the tears while examining his expression, trying to find any signs that proved otherwise, but was met with a sincere smile and concerned eyes instead. Gen chose not to answer his question, knowing that it would come with a tease or two about how he had seriously misjudged his friend. “Gen, know this. You’re my best friend and there’s literally nothing that I wouldn’t do for you.”<br/>
“I-I feel like such an idiot for jumping to conclusions like that.” He chuckled meekly.<br/>
“You’ve got no reason to be. It was a big misinterpretation so I have no reason to hold it against you.”<br/>
“Sorry I put you in such an awkward position like that.” Sketch was quick to brush that off with a laugh, shaking his head.<br/>
“Don’t worry about it. It won’t stay awkward so long as we both agree to put it behind us.” He stretched his arm out to the other with a lopsided smile. “Whaddya say? We got a deal?” Gen let out a soft giggle at the gesture and took hold of it, giving him a firm shake along with a confident smile.<br/>
“You got yourself a deal.” Gen glanced out to find the establishment ready for closing, the chairs all flipped and everything spotless, and looked out to find the last bus that ran for this stop taking off. It was either he call Craze and risk getting a playful earful from him before he could amaze him with the exciting news he had or go with Sketch in attempts to patch things up with him. “Hey Sketch, you mind walking me home?” A breathy chuckle left the taller as the two headed out the diner, Gen pulling the hood of his coat up and scarf up to mask his face, keeping the cold air from flooding into his head and creating yet another problem for his fiance to worry about.<br/>
“Won’t your fiance flip shit though?” He asked as he copied his actions, his hands being stuffed into his pockets to avoid the night’s bone chilling air.<br/>
“He won’t when I say that I missed the bus due to counting the huge tip I got.” Sketch looked to his friend incredulously.<br/>
“You little snake.” He laughed as he fell into step with the smaller. Gen simply laughed as he gave a small shrug, taking in the lit up city as he made his way down the streets.<br/>
“I call it using my head.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Palette's POV</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Palette drove down the big city streets, having to hit the breaks every so often because of the pedestrians that would cross the street out of nowhere. He came to a stop at the stoplight, watching the horde of people crossing the street briskly, some hold briefcases and others clutching to an expensive purse. A text interrupted his music, playing his ringtone over the speakers instead, and he checked to find both Geno and Reaper had messaged him. He tapped on the conversation with Reaper, seeing that he had sent a list of the areas he had already combed through. He sent a quick thanks back and slid into the conversation with Geno.<br/>
Geno: Are you okay? Did you get any sleep? Have you eaten anything yet? Please stay safe, Palette. It’s a big city you went to, and I can’t lose you too.<br/>
A soft smile rested on the artist’s face when he saw the concerned messages, typing up the responses accordingly.<br/>
Palette: I’m fine, Mister Geno. Are you okay? I got a half-hour nap in if that counts as sleep. I’ve had a few road trip snacks, but haven’t gotten a proper meal yet. I’ll try to stay safe as best as I can. How are the search parties in the state going?<br/>
The person honking behind him caught his attention, looking in the rearview mirror to find the driver flipping him off and shouting what looked like swears judging by his mouth movements. Palette took off, passing the light on yellow and watched the driver behind him come to a stop at the red light once again. A sigh of relief escaped him as he got further away from him, knowing that the distance was too great for him to get out of his car and probably pummel him. He returned his attention to his phone and searched directions to the motel Polly had booked for him, finding it relatively close to where he was now.<br/>
‘Just another hour till you can get it this car. You got this, Palette.’ He encouraged, taking off at the sight of green light.<br/>
He drove down the street, passing a few more green street lights with his focus more on his surroundings than the road in front of him. He turned back to look in front of him, his delights widening when he saw a flash of white and red step in front of his car.<br/>
“Goth!” He slammed on the breaks, his car coming to a screeching halt as pedestrians took this opportunity to cross.<br/>
Palette’s breathing was erratic, his eyelights scanning the crowd to find those familiar colors once again. He rubbed the palm of his hands against his sockets, burying his face in his hands after rubbing the sleep out of them.<br/>
“I’m going insane. I’m going insane. That’s it. I’m seeing him everywhere because I lost my sanity. If I don’t find him here, I’m checking into an asylum.” He told himself, taking a few deep breaths to calm his nerves and return his attention to driving. “Please be here, Gothy.” He mumbled to himself. “Please.”<br/>
He took a few turns after that incident and came across the hotel sign. He pulled into the parking lot and parked at the first open spot he found, stepping out the car immediately to feel the sweet relief of stretching his legs out. He grabbed his backpack off the passenger seat and turned off his car, hitting the lock button more times than necessary, walking into the lobby to be greeted by the bellhop. He glanced down at his phone to make sure the address matched his destination and found a message taking up the screen.<br/>
Enjoy your stay! I made sure that all expenses are dealt with.<br/>
“Any other bags, sir?” He shook his head and followed the bellhop inside, his eyelights scanning the decorated lobby, admiring trinkets set up here and there in preparation for the holidays.<br/>
He wandered over to the front desk in attempts to get checked in faster but found it empty. He had to admit that he was proud of himself that he managed to ring the bell, even when recalling the now haunting memory of how he used the bell to annoy his lover countless times just to hear him laugh at his childish behavior.<br/>
“Sorry. I hope we didn’t keep you waiting long. A few employees went home, sick.” He looked up from his hands to find a skeleton a bit taller than him pulling open a drawer from behind the counter. “Name?”<br/>
“Palette Roller.” He stated clearly, almost robotically with how many times he had gone through this process in the past few weeks.<br/>
“So you’re the lucky guy that got that favor, huh?” The skeleton mused as he checked him in, pulling out a keycard from the aforementioned drawer. “Any leads on where your guy went?” He asked offhandedly as he slipped the card into the provided casing, Palette shaking his head slowly, hearing him wince slightly. “Don’t worry, kid. I’m sure you’ll find him. I already spread the word out to some of my friends.”<br/>
“I could use all the help I could get. Thanks, Mister…?” He shot a quick glance in hopes of finding some sort of identification, disappointed that he failed to find something as simple as a badge on his suit. Again.<br/>
“Killer, weird name, I know. Just call me Kills. Sure, that’s not any better, but the look on everyone’s face when they hear it definitely is.” Palette laughed as he went through the procedures they had in signing him in.<br/>
“Not the weirdest I’ve heard. My uncle Nightmare probably takes the cake. He just goes by-”<br/>
“Hold up, Nightmare?” Palette nodded and Killer’s hollow sockets widened as he produced a laugh of his own. “Holy shit. You’re Dream’s kid, right?”<br/>
“Well, more of his accident, but yeah.” He laughed sheepishly, Killer laughing as he shook his head.<br/>
“There’s no way you’re an accident. He goes on and on about ya.” He scanned the card into the system and held it out for the other to take. “It’s no wonder your name showing up looked familiar.”<br/>
“Really?” A gentle smile graced his face as he thought about his birth mother mentioning him time and time again. “That’s a pleasant surprise. He still here?”<br/>
“Well yeah. He’s kinda my fiancé.” Palette chuckled, giving a small nod of gratitude as he grabbed hold of his keycard. “You should swing by the place. I’m sure Dreamy would love to see you.” The young artist had to admit it was nice to hear that at least one of his parents still cared for him and continue to make an effort to see him. Killer jotted down his address and number on a slip of paper, sliding it over to Palette nonchalantly. “Our place is your place. Doors are always gonna be open for ya.”<br/>
“Will do, thanks again. And, uh, congratulations.” Killer chuckled, sending a small wave his way as the artist headed toward the elevators, checking his room number to choose the corresponding floor.<br/>
Once he made his way to his booked room, the sight of the comfy bed drew out a yawn from him. Though his mind persisted with searching, making compelling arguments on how he could sleep the days away once Goth was by his side and that bastard was in prison, his exhausted body had a mind of its own, their argument supporting sleep winning as the skeleton found himself getting situated under the duvet. He figured a few hours of shut-eye wouldn’t do him any harm.<br/>
Unfortunately, the artist had slept more than half the day away, consciousness returning to him thanks to his phone buzzing violently. He groggily looked over, the brightness of his screen causing him to flinch and squint in hopes of making out who was trying to contact him. He sat up when he didn’t see a contact photo light up the screen and finally decided to pick it up to check properly. When he saw that it was a reminder for his timer, it was then that he was thankful for his foresight, even if it was later than he expected it would be. He stuffed his phone into his pockets and grabbed his keys and key card off the nightstand, heading out the hotel room. He made his way to the elevator, pressing the button that would take him down to the lobby, and watched the doors close. The elevator groaned to life, taking Palette to the floor of his choosing, and briskly left the hotel, pulling his jacket up when he was hit with the crisp night air. He walked to where he had parked his car, getting inside as quick as he could, and drove off toward the busier part of town. With the hours of sleep he got, he was a lot more alert while driving, making it to his destination in a timely manner without having to piss off any of the other drivers. He pulled into a parking garage on 44th street, paying for a spot inside, and started walking with only a handful of flyers in his possession. He hadn’t anticipated running out so soon, but he had to work with what he had until he ran into a printing shop somewhere nearby. He was walking fast, his walking halted by people boarding the bus, the heavy crowd being impossible to through without bumping into everyone on the way out. Instead, he started holding the flyers out, allowing just about anyone to take them in hopes that they’d spread the word. By the time they all got on board, his hands were empty, leaving him with just showing the people he came across a picture of his boyfriend with the hope that they’d remember his face. He decided to run a few trials, see how many people were willing to listen but found his words being brushed off or ignored completely thanks to headphones. Eventually, he got the hint and stopped asking, stuffing his phone into the pocket of his jacket before doing the same to his hands, trudging forward as tears pooled at the edge of his sockets.<br/>
“What am I doing wrong? Why haven’t I found him yet?” He asked himself, his gaze fixated to the ground as he moved forward, mindlessly bumping into one of the citizens passing by, mumbling an incoherent apology. He pulled out the slip of paper Killer had given him, his words echoing in his mind as he took his offer into consideration. It sounded like they were living here for a while, they’ll probably know what hot spots to hit up to get better results. He pulled his phone out and plugged the address in, finding that their home was within walking distance, but found himself hesitating to head in that direction.<br/>
‘What am I going to say to him if he answers? I haven’t seen him since he left Ink’s. Does he even want to see me?’ He shook his head, wanting to clear the dark thoughts, seeing as he had suffered enough of them already. ‘No. Killer said he always talked about me. He wouldn’t have opened his doors to me. He wouldn’t have offered to lend a helping hand.’ Those few words willed him to start heading in that direction. He was thankful that he listened to the second voice that chimed in, seeing that the snow started to come down a bit faster and the roads get slicker. With his head so wrapped up in trying to figure out what to say, he failed to hear the car turning the corner, the ear-splitting screeches halting him in his spot at the crosswalk only to watch the car turn over, and Palette felt as though the wind had been knocked out of him. Had he acted on the first voice he heard and turned back to get to his car in attempts to return to his hotel room, he might’ve wounded up in a crash due to his inexperience with driving through the snow. The soft ping from his phone had gone unnoticed, pushing that horrific thought aside and heading over to the small group that formed around the crash site.<br/>
“Someone got a charged phone?” One asked as a few people worked on extracting the man from the car.<br/>
“Got it.” Palette didn’t wait for a second longer, calling for an ambulance the minute they had asked. “They’re on their way. It should be here in five.” He advised. He was quick to offer his scarf, watching them clear the shattered glass of the window before reaching into the vehicle and unlocking the doors from the inside. The flashing red and white lights had forced the small crowd to move back, a few heading off once they saw that medical professionals were taking care of the situation. Palette was no exception. He finally looked to his phone and found that he was a few feet away from his destination.He spotted the house number and headed up the steps, ringing the doorbell before stuffing his hands into his pocket once more, still at a loss for what he should say to him after so many years. He froze at the sound of lighthearted laughter behind the door, watching it open up and the golden stars that made up his mother’s eyes gazed up at his own gradient ones.<br/>
“P-Palette…?” Dream reached up and rested a hand on the little star that stained his cheek, a smile cracking away the disbelief etched into his face. “I-I know my baby’s eyes,” he screwed his own eyes shut and hugged him tightly, “I thought I’d never see you again.”<br/>
Unlike the awkward scenarios he painted for himself, the young artist found himself at peace in his mother’s arms, returning the embrace as he shed a few tears of his own. With his father getting so caught up with his new family, he never felt the parental love he got from this gesture. Geno did his best to make up for it and he was forever grateful for his boyfriend’s parents, but this was a completely different feeling. This was tackling the loveless childhood he faced after their divorce, feeling as if he was four again and relishing in the gesture as if he was afraid he might not be able to indulge himself in such a simple pleasure again. When his mother pulled away, he half expected to see the door slam shut on his face just as his father’s always had, relieved to see it open wider and his mother ushering him in.<br/>
“Here, come inside, it’s probably colder than you expected.” Palette stepped inside, thanking him for the kind hospitality only to have it blown off. “Kills, can you get another plate set up?”<br/>
“I didn’t realize I interrupted dinner. Sorry-”<br/>
“Oh Pal,” Dream chuckled, intertwining their arms as he lead him further into his home.”You’re my son. You don’t have to apologize for anything.” He pulled out a chair for him as Killer set a full plate in front of him, the other earning a kiss to his cheek as thanks for completing the simple task.<br/>
“Told ya he’d be excited to see ya again.” Killer reminded playfully as he dug into his plate.<br/>
“You met him and didn’t tell me?” Dream pouted when he saw his fiance nod confidently.<br/>
“I knew you’d be happier to see him for yourself, so I figured one little secret wouldn’t hurt.” His logic earned him a look from the positive skeleton, a muted chuckle leaving Palette as Dream reluctantly dropped the offense. “Am I forgiven?” Killer asked, holding his hand out to him and beamed at the sight of his hand resting in his own.<br/>
“Alright. Only because I love you.” The yellow clad skeleton reminded as a similar color blush lit up at the soft kiss pressed to the back of it. ”Anway,” he returned his attention to his son with a smile, “what are you doing here? Last time I checked, Florida and New York aren’t exactly neighboring states.”<br/>
“My boyfriend. He went missing.” Dream’s eyelights vanished at the grim news, Palette dropping the fork as the guilt filled his stomach once again. He lightly pushed his plate forward, giving up on his dinner.<br/>
“I’m really sorry to hear that, Palette. Do you have a picture of him? Maybe I’ve seen him around.” Palette pulled out his phone and slid it over to his mom, the inkling of hope diminished when he saw him shake his head. “You two look adorable together.” He added, his soul strings being yanked at the deflated chuckle that left him. “I don’t want to sound rude, but what made you think he’d be here?” Dream asked, wanting nothing more than to know where his son’s headspace was so he could give some guidance in these troubling times.<br/>
“Two reasons. Goth’s always wanted to come here to visit the big city and two, the person that took him knows that too.”<br/>
“You know who took him? Did you inform the police?” Palette shook his head. “Why not?”<br/>
“Because he went missing too, coincidentally, and the cops called off the search back in Florida. That leaves the search party to just Geno, Reaper, and me.” He remembered the lack of flyers, about to ask if they knew the cheapest print shop was before turning to Google for help when Dream broke the silence before it had time to settle.<br/>
“Send me a photo of your boyfriend.” Palette watched as his mom pulled out his phone and started tapping away at the screen, confusion riddling his face as he did as told. “What do you think? Big enough?” Dream turned his phone around to show the screen the photo was being projected onto, the skeleton’s jaw ajar at the sight.<br/>
“B-But h-how did-”<br/>
“I work for the guys that control these things and the advertising coordinator owes me a solid.” He boasted before turning back to the food decorating his plate.<br/>
“And you blew that on me?” Palette swallowed his words when he caught his mother’s surprised gaze, looking to the plate he pushed away. He knew that face all too well and he wasn’t ready for any sort of blame, not after he’s blamed himself enough for Goth’s disappearance.<br/>
“Of course I would, Pal. You’re my son.” He reached across the table and took hold of his hand, giving it a loving squeeze and a small smile when he finally looked his way again. “It’s the least I could do. Now,” he carefully slipped his hand out of Palette’s and moved the plate towards him once more, “I don’t know if you ate yet so you aren’t leaving the table until you do so.”<br/>
“This isn’t negotiable, is it?” Palette chuckled as he picked up his fork once more.<br/>
“I don’t think your boyfriend would like to know you were starving yourself while looking for him, now would he?”<br/>
“What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him.” Dream playfully smacked his fiance’s shoulder for adding that comment, unamused to hear his son snickering at the advice given.<br/>
“Is that what you use on me?” He looked to his fiancé in askance only to have the stern look fall from his face as he grabbed hold of his hand.<br/>
“I would never do that to you.”.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Gen's POV</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Soft snow started to rain down on the city, Gen pausing briefly to take it all in with a gentle smile on his face. He never got used to the snowfall, the simple weather always being something for the smaller to marvel at. At the lack of a response to the question he asked, Sketch stopped in his tracks and spared a glance over his shoulder, a quiet chuckle leaving him as he turned to face his entranced friend.</p><p>"You know, a picture typically lasts longer." His playful comment earned him a light scoff from the scarfed skeleton. "Seriously though, you act like you've never seen snow."</p><p>"Well, when you can't remember it, it just seems so unreal. I've never seen it snow. Just always woke up to it being out there." He headed towards his friend, a quiet giggle leaving him when he caught the other still looking his way. "You sure you don't want to take a picture? They last longer anyway."</p><p>"Alright, alright. I'll stop." He laughed sheepishly as he tore his gaze away from his friend, listening to the smaller run to catch up with him. "What are you going to do now?"</p><p>"About what?" Gen asked simply as he clicked away at his phone, letting his fiance know that he had a surprise for him when he got home before watching it power off. An ounce of worry settled in him, hoping the message sent before the battery died. He looked to his companion and urge him to finish his thought.</p><p>"The restraining order nonsense?" Gen hummed at the thought of confronting his fiance, knowing that would only get him in more trouble since he didn't adhere to his warning, and decided against doing anything that would give him such an idea. That was a little out of his hands until he knew just how upset his fiancé is, "and about what I told you?" That second item of concern was a lot more manageable for the smaller, especially since the one concerned wasn't as easily irritable as Craze had been.</p><p>"The restraining order, I'll figure it out when I get home. As for what you told me," Sketch felt regret immediately pooling in his non-existent stomach at his silence, already thinking about how to cut all ties off with his best friend.</p><p>"Got it. Guess it was nice knowing ya-" The street artist didn't have time to walk away, Gen grabbing at his shoulder and yanking him back before he had the chance to put some distance between the two.</p><p>"That's not what I meant, you dramatic sap." He laughed, linking his arm with his as they continued walking down the street until being forced to stop by the people exiting the metro. "I'm honestly flattered that you like me."</p><p>"You don't have to spare my feelings." He chuckled weakly before watching him shake his head with a laugh.</p><p>"I'm being serious. You're really good looking and have a wonderful personality. Good set of morals, determined, loyal. Honestly, you're a catch." Gen gushed, the blush on his face making it obvious that he was probably doing more harm than good at the moment. "Anyway, the truth's pretty much in front of you. I'm engaged and we're definitely trying for a baby now that we have the money to move out. He told me earlier that he picked up another job to support us."</p><p>"Damn," the taller muttered at the sound of yet another job under the guy's belt, "doesn't he already have three jobs? How many is this guy trying to have?"</p><p>"As of now, it's three. He always takes up some commissions too if he has the time so I'm not counting that as a steady job."</p><p>"He an artist?"</p><p>Gen shook his head with a small laugh, "I don't think he has an artistic bone in his body. No, he's a photographer. He doesn't have his own place yet since he's still building up a portfolio, but he's going to get there one day. He's already gotten a few people to request him, so I know he will." A soft smile graced the smaller skeleton's face at the thought of his fiancé's determination to let them have such an easy future, tackling his dream head-on and getting what he's always wanted while still taking time out of his busy schedule for him and his little dreams. More often than not, Gen found himself wondering what he did to deserve him.</p><p>"Despite everything he does," Gen gave a small frown at his words, jabbing a finger into his arm until he apologized for it or wrapped up the thought in a more positive way, "I guess really cares about you-"</p><p>"Told you he-" his words got cut off by Sketch, who only chuckled as he shook his head.</p><p>"You didn't let me finish. I guess he really cares about you, but in his own weird psychotic ways."</p><p>"Okay, now you're just being rude and you know it." He chuckled, his laughter being cut off by a wince as a pedestrian bumped into the smaller. </p><p>His mumbled apology caused Gen to stop and look back at the person. Even though the voice was soft-toned, the smaller heard it clearly, trying to decipher where he had heard it. Unfortunately, Sketch took his second glance as a cue to confront the offender, ready to shout at the hunched-over figure for bumping into him as though he had been blind when his attention had been snatched by the sudden screeching of tires. He caught the sight of the car spinning out of control and Gen was still standing at the crosswalk, seemingly lost in thought as he hardly processed the vehicle hurling his way. </p><p>"Gen!" With no immediate reaction, Sketch took a leap forward and grabbed hold of his friend's arm, pulling him close to his own body as he heard the vehicle skid across the slick roads and crash. The loud noise was more than enough to bring the smaller's focus back onto the real world, looking between the crosswalk and the crash frantically before clinging to his friend tightly. "Are you crazy? You can't zone out like that! You could've seriously gotten hurt." Once Sketch saw that there were more than enough people helping out, he turned and lectured the smaller as he did a once over. "Are you okay? Does your arm hurt? I know I grabbed you pretty hard back there." With every question roused a quiet, 'I'm fine' from Gen, chuckling weakly as he applied some pressure to certain places to make sure he didn't really hurt him. As soon as the taller made his way down to his wrist, Gen twisted the hand and grabbed hold of Sketch's with a playful smile.</p><p>"I'm fine. I'm not as fragile as I look." He assured, which got Sketch to chuckle a bit.</p><p>"Your fiancé doesn't think so. I don't need him on my back and actually file a restraining order."</p><p>"Saying that it's a little accident at work won't kill me."</p><p>"But lying will make him doubt his trust in you." The street artist added only to catch him smiling wide. "What?"</p><p>"You do care about him." Before he had the chance to reject it, Gen took hold of his arm and attempted to cross the street once more, this time very aware of his surroundings.</p><p>"I care more about what he could do to you than him specifically," he explained, raising a hand to silence the counterargument he knew was coming, "I know, I know. You're not as fragile as you look."</p><p>"You're damn right I'm not. So I'm taking this as you care for him."</p><p>"I don't think I can take it back then, can I?" Sketch asked playfully, earning a simple eye roll paired with a shake of his head in response.</p><p>The rest of the journey was made in relative silence, Sketch allowing this time to be spent simply marveling at how entranced his friend was at the mere sight of snow, his reaction to it creating a thin sheet to blanket the world in a lot more precious than he had anticipated. It wasn't long until they reached the street Gen was familiar with, pulling his arm back before giving his friend a small smile.</p><p>"This is me."</p><p>"Yeah, about a good block and a half from here." He teased lightheartedly, laughing as the scarfed skeleton drove a playful punch to his arm. "Night."</p><p>"G'Night. Get home safe, okay?"</p><p>Sketch chuckled and looked to his friend, "I would say I'll text you, but we both know what'll happen if I do that."</p><p>"I would ask you to do that anyway, but you're right." The cloaked skeleton mocked with a laugh, rousing a softer one from the taller. "See you tomorrow?"</p><p>"Yeah, for that morning coffee since every other place is shit," he returned playfully with a wave, turning to head back to his own home only to stop halfway, "damn. I forgot to ask," he looked back over his shoulder to find that his friend had already gone, leaving his question to be asked during his breakfast run tomorrow.</p><p>Gen pushed the lobby doors open, being immediately greeted by the doorman.</p><p>"Was wondering what's held you up. Your fiancé came down here more than a handful of times to see if you were here." Gen could only laugh at the information he had heard and shook his head playfully at his beloved's antics.</p><p>"Thanks. I'll make sure to tell him to stop bothering you." He returned in a similar manner before heading up to the apartment, walking in only to be greeted by being scooped up into a pair of strong arms and hugged tightly. This elicited a soft giggle before he returned the hug, kicking the door with his feet when he was finally set down but never once pulling away from his comforting arms. He knew that the taller would need a moment to process that he was actually here now and it wasn't long until that familiar warmth pulled away, Craze's eyes scanning over him and checking for any injuries much like Sketch had done earlier.</p><p>"Where were you? I called your cell and there was no answer. I was worried sick!" Gen's soul tugged at the taller's words, softly cupping his cheek and watched as the simple gesture failed to cease his worrying.</p><p>"I'm sorry. After I sent that text, my phone died." He murmured before kissing him sweetly, relieved to feel him return the gesture just as it had been presented. He pulled away shortly after and gently brushed his thumb against the taller's cheek, meeting his mismatched eyes with a small smile. "I was closing tonight and the last party left pretty late. I'm sorry for the holdup."</p><p>"You should've booted them out, Gen. I thought something happened to you," the smaller felt a pang of guilt as he listened to his fiancé voice the real reason behind his concern, "I wouldn't be able to live with myself if something happened again and I wasn't there to help like last time."</p><p>"What happened to me wasn't your fault, baby. It never was and it never will be." Gen reasoned, hoping that it would put a stop to the seemingly endless guilt his fiancé carried. "All things aside, I have a surprise for you. I hope this'll make up for my late return."</p><p>"Can't be a coincidence that I didn't wrap up today," the smaller giggled at the reminder of their plans and shook his head.</p><p>"Not that, silly. Hold your hand out and close your eyes." He instructed with a giddy smile, the expression softening as he watched him dig into his pocket. He caught sight of his hand tightly clasped shut and looked to the taller for some sort of reason behind it and found a little smile tug at the corner of his 'lips', "what?"</p><p>"I've got you something-" Craze laughed as Gen immediately cut him off, finding the pout on his face far too cute to ignore.</p><p>"Oh no. I want to say my good news first and I'm going to say it." His point was made clear, watching the balled up hand move to hide behind him as he opened up the freehand and awaited the smaller's surprise.</p><p>"I swear if its a positive pregnancy test-"</p><p>"It's not!" The smaller insisted with a laugh as his fiancé finally shut his eyes. Gen produced the wad of cash that Razz insisted he hold onto and watched one of his eyes open up before both shot open, looking at the money in his hands and his fiancé's extremely elated smile before realizing just what this was.</p><p>"No way..."</p><p>"The last party tipped me a little too well." He explained with a giggle, closing his hand so he got the idea, "we have the last bit we needed. We can move now." He murmured, the smile widening as he too processed what this meant for the pair.</p><p>"We can finally try..." Craze muttered, a smile just as wide as Gen's decorating his face before hugging the smaller tight. "Does tonight work for you, babe?"</p><p>"We might not have to." The taller's gaze was quick to drop to his midsection, placing a hand over it to find that his magic was still summoned. "Last I checked, your magic was still in there. I wanna give it a day before trying again. Last thing I need is to be having twins."</p><p>"Twins can't be that bad, babe." Craze attempted to reason with high hopes of getting the smaller to consider the possibility of blessing their lives with not one but two bundles of joy. Unfortunately, Gen didn't have the same idea, having taken a liking to the idea of having an easy first pregnancy.</p><p>"It is when you're a guy and you've never been pregnant before." That was enough to get his fiancé to put an end to his advances.</p><p>"I'll give you that. Here, let me give you my good news." He brought his closed hand back and opened it up to reveal a set of keys.</p><p>"What's this?" Gen asked curiously, his hand hovering a mere inch above them until Craze gave him the nod, the taller watching him pick it up and observe the set. "Where's this for?"</p><p>"Well. I don't know if you remember, but you had your eye on a pretty big cabin up north. It was your dream house," he pulled out his phone and showed it off in hopes of jogging the smaller's memory. "Remember?"</p><p>"I... I think," he murmured as he zoomed in on the property, unable to process how they managed to purchase such a place that seemed to be planted in the middle of nowhere, "it's a little too remote, isn't it?"</p><p>"You used to call it your paradise. You never did like the city." Craze answered with a chuckle as he watched him scroll through the endless photos he took. He wasn't wrong. Though the city scenery was a lovely one, he always found himself pining for a quieter, much more peaceful, lifestyle, the cabin they now owned together appearing as though it satisfied such a desire.</p><p>"This place looks like it'd cost a lot though..." he trailed off worriedly. The smaller didn't know just how much went into paying for the cabin and the idea of barely getting by to pay off their debts was not one he wanted to dwell on.</p><p>"Price doesn't matter, babe," he sighed, standing behind him to see the property that the pair now proudly owned together and wrapping his arms around his waist. He held him flush against his body, moving his scarf a smidge to press a little kiss to his neck and another to his cheek, "what matters is that it's ours now and we can easily pay the first few bills with this." He showed off the stack in his hand before looking at him lovingly. "I promised you I'd get it and I swore that it would be my duty to make sure I never let you down again." He hummed softly as he waited to hear his reaction to the news.</p><p>"I..." Gen couldn't find the words that would properly express himself, unsure what emotion he was feeling more, "I just can't believe it..."</p><p>"If you would've come home earlier, I would've taken you to see it in person. Maybe it would've helped jog your memory a bit."</p><p>The scarfed skeleton perked up at the sound of that, looking to the papers with a glint of hope in his eye. If it could help him fill in some of the gaps, then he was all for visiting the cabin up north. "Can we go see it tomorrow? I get off work at one."</p><p>Gen asked, wanting to see the place the pictures captured so beautifully for himself.</p><p>"Works for me, babe. I'll go ahead and pack up some of our stuff so we can start moving in."</p><p>"Can I help?" Craze shook his head at his fiance's question, already earning a small pout from him.</p><p>"If there's a chance you'll be carrying our kid, I'm not letting you. I don't need you straining yourself."</p><p>"What about little things, like books?" That possibility was met with a stern rejection, seeing as the books they owned were anything but a light read, "dishes?" Another shake of the taller's head, Gen trying to figure out what he could carry without worrying him, "what about bedding?"</p><p>"Babe, I've got it. You don't have-" he opened his mouth to reiterate the fact that it was unnecessary to assist in the move since they hardly had much to take with them, but the smaller was having none of that.</p><p>"Now don't say I don't have to. If I'm saying it, then I want to. Plus they weigh literally nothing!" His pouting earned him a quiet chuckle from the taller, the expression fading as he nodded.</p><p>"Alright, but just the pillows and blankets." He warned before the smaller could rejoice in the decision.</p><p>His warning hardly waned the excitement Gen felt, the taller chuckling at just how tight the scarfed skeleton embraced him. In one swift motion, Craze scooped his fiancé up into his arms, his precious giggles mixing with his own light chuckle as he carried them off to their room with only rest on his mind.</p><p>"I'm going to start packing the second I come back from work." He stated firmly, the taller laughing as he nodded along.</p><p>"Could I get you to reconsider?" His sportive offer was rejected immediately, forcing the taller to comply, "no heavy lifting then."</p><p>"No heavy lifting," Gen reiterated with a soft hum, more than happy with the compromise as he fiddled with the keys to their new home, "you spoil me, you know that?" </p><p>Craze chuckled at the reminder and nodded along, "you knew it was coming. I would hardly call that spoiling," he returned sweetly, setting the smaller onto the bed so that he could get comfortable while he took care of his nightly routine. </p><p>Gen set the keys on the night stand before his gaze fell onto the engagement ring that he proudly adorned, a smile on his face as he called out to his fiance, "if were bringing in good money now, can we get married?" The soft rustling came to a halt at the question, the smaller risking a glance to find the taller's mismatched eyes set on him, the glow on his face assuring him that it wasn't a subject of great disdain. When the moment of silence trailed on for longer than he liked, Gen giggled, sending a small wave his way in attempts to knock him out of whatever scenario his imagination was creating, "hun? Is that a yes?" </p><p>The wave served its purpose well, the couple of blinks that followed assuring him that his focus was coming back, "are you sure? I want our wedding to be one grand event." The firm nod sent his soul thrumming, the words that followed only added to the overwhelming feeling. </p><p>"I know you said I asked for time to figure it out, and I think I just did," Gen reached out for the taller, coaxing him to come closer, and watched with a giggle as Craze abandoned his shirt for the light undershirt he wore underneath, crawling into bed immediately to satisfy the smaller's desire. The scarved skeleton took hold of his arm and wrapped it around him, snuggling into his now open side with a muted sigh, "I don't think I want to be anywhere but here."  </p><p>"God, now you're spoiling me," Craze chuckled, a small peck following his words as he turned onto his side. He carefully cupped his face, brushing his thumb along his cheek as he mused at the adorable sight of his tired lover, "I'm glad you still see me as worthy enough to claim such a high title." That earned him a mocked jab and a quiet chortle. </p><p>"You're lucky I do," he shot back as if it were a witty retort and twinned their hands together, "besides, do we really need some kind of grand reception? Neither of our families are still around to see it..." </p><p>"I still wanna see you all dolled up and walking down the aisle, babe. I wanna feel that burst of happiness when I see the gorgeous monster I have the pleasure to call mine. And besides," he gently rubbed his thumb along his knuckles, "you can't tell me that you don't wanna see me shed a few tears over you." He teased, delivering a string of featherlight kisses along his cheek and jaw. </p><p>A tired chuckle left his as he shifted his head and accepted the chaste kisses with breathy hums, "you make that sound so tempting."</p><p>"Safe to say I convinced you?~" the muted whisper sent pleasure filled shivers down his spine, nodding to feel the mouth that rested against the base of his neck grin at the answer, "I promise I'll buy you the best damn dress out there, make sure the world knows that there isn't and never will be anyone better than my precious Gen." </p><p> "Could I ask Razz to drive me?" He asked, teetering at the edge of exhaustion and waiting for his answer before he could nod off. Even the few seconds of silence was too long for the tired waiter, a low whine pleading for him to agree, a smile on his face the moment he relented.</p><p>A soft 'I love you' was heard before Craze felt a pair of 'lips' graze his own, holding his fiance flush against himself  as a smile worked its way onto his face, "love you too, hun. Sleep well," he bid the smaller, staying up a few moments after he had succumbed to his exhaustion to marvel at the idea of having their wedding already be settled. </p><p>God, was he lucky that everything worked out well.</p>
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